The Centre for Research and Development (CRD) and the Penhalonga Youth Development Trust (PYDT) are demanding accountability from the government following a catastrophic incident on Thursday, January 4, 2024, where eleven miners found themselves trapped over 100 meters below the surface.
According to CRD and PYDT, the collapse was an avoidable disaster waiting to happen, attributing it to hazardous mining practices by Betterbrands.
“Previous mining operations by Betterbrands had dangerously depleted surface and shaft pillars,” CRD and PYDT said in joint a statement.
“Uncontrolled blasting and further gold digging in old shafts led to this tragic ground collapse.”
The advocacy groups said local mining experts suggest that the collapse might have occurred between levels 4 and 5, approximately 140 to 180 meters deep.
The advocacy groups lamented the recurring loss of lives at Redwing Mine, emphasizing the lack of secured mining pits.
“At Redwing Mine, a week hardly passes without lives being lost in unsecured mining pits,” the two bodies said.
The CRD and PYDT said they had previously warned the government about the risks associated with surface mining operations conducted by Zanu PF Mabvuku-Tafara MP, Pedzisai Scott Sakupwanya’s Better Brands Mining Company.
“We foresaw that the surface mining pits would tear away pillars stabilizing the ground, leading to ground subsidence, destruction of infrastructure, and loss of lives,” CRD and PYDT stated.
Despite the warnings, the government had allowed Betterbrands to resume operations in March 2023.
“The government must account for this unfolding mining disaster at Redwing Mine,” demanded the civil society partners.
The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) had previously banned Betterbrands’ mining activities, citing violations of the EMA Act and safety regulations.
“The nation expected a government inquiry into the sustainability of Betterbrands’ mining model at Redwing,” said the two partners.
The CRD and PYDT are now urging the government to take immediate action and hold Betterbrands accountable for the loss of precious lives at Redwing Mine.
“Against all the dangers, government gave a green light again for Betterbrands to resume mining operations at Redwing in March 2023. A recent environmental survey conducted by CRD and PYDT indicate a surge in the establishment of illegal hammer mills and cyanidation tanks from 129 hammer mills and 6 cyanidation tanks in October 2021 to 774 illegal hammer mills and 28 cyanidation tanks by 31 December 2023,” the two partners stated.
“These gold processing plants have been established along farms, streams, residential areas, schools and Timber estates in Penhalonga and surrounding communities exposing citizens to worst forms of chemical contamination ,noise pollution and hazardous waste dumping that have rendered water from affected rivers unusable.
“These gold processing plants are illegally accessing gold ore for processing from porous Better brands surface mining activities. These processing plants cannot account to the government for the gold that they are processing because they are not registered.
Today over 15 lives have been probably lost in Tsapauta section of Redwing Mine concession that Better brands apportioned to Redwing Mine workers after mining the area for three years.
Betterbrands has continued to extract gold from shaft and surface pillars in Rezende 1,2 and 3 and Zaina sections of Redwing Mine concession. It will not be long before a similar disaster unfold in those areas. Without political will to stop this dangerous mining activity more lives will be lost at Redwing Mine.”
Meanwhile, Acting Minister of Local Government and Public Works, July Moyo, responded to the incident, confirming that eleven miners were trapped although insisting that they were trapped 20 meters below the surface.
He said government has activated Civil Protection structures and search and rescue operations are ongoing.
“In responding to this unfortunate accident, Government has immediately activated Civil Protection structures to deal with the critical matter of search and rescue at the mine,” Moyo said.
“The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development is leading a team of experts, including from Metallon Gold and Freda Rebecca Gold Mine of Bindura. Government would like to assure the nation and anxious families of the miners, in particular that search and rescue operations will continue into the coming days.”
The Minister assured that government would provide support to the affected families.
He directed Metallon Gold to suspend operations at Redwing Mine during the rescue efforts and emphasized the need for responsible mining to prevent future accidents.
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