Kwekwe Family Homeless After House Collapses Into A Mine Shaft

Aug 27, 2023

The owner of a house that collapsed into an underground mine shaft in Kwekwe's Globe and Phoenix suburb on Sunday says her family is now homeless following the incident.

Kimberly Rusike told ZBC News that they have lived at House Number 1 Silver Oaks in Globe and Phoenix low-density suburb for the past 23 years.

She said it was their hope that the house would benefit generations to come. Said Rusike:

The first problem happened sometime last year when part of the dining room collapsed.

We thought it was nothing major but as a safety precaution, we moved out after a relative offered accommodation in Newtown.

However, we left some valuables and tenants. On Sunday we were informed that a catastrophe had hit our property.

When we came to check, we realised that the whole kitchen and a toilet had sunk into a sinkhole.

It's quite traumatising to imagine if we were still occupying the property and if the tenants were in the house at the time we could be telling a different story.

The house has since been decommissioned meaning we have been left with nothing.

Cracks are visible over the block of flats at the Globe Court which houses over 200 people.

One of the residents who spoke to ZBC News said every other day they hear blasts underground as illegal gold panners break up rocks in search of the yellow metal. Said the resident:

Every other day we hear blasts from underneath the surface as amakorokoza go about their business.

Windows and doors always shake as the blasts go on. We no longer know what to do anymore.

Imagine if all these flats were to collapse what would happen to us.

Living in this neighbourhood is now traumatic. The fear of waking up with no home is now a reality.

How can one survive knowing pretty well that there are mining activities underneath?

I appeal to authorities to put an end to all this madness.

As a resident, it is natural to live in fear. We have children who play outside and knowing that we are floating above some mineshafts is quite scary.

The most difficult times are when the illegal miners do their mine blasts which shake the whole yard.

The house is located in the Globe and Phoenix area, the same area as the Globe and Phoenix Primary School, which also collapsed into a mining tunnel months ago.

A number of schoolchildren at Globe and Phoenix Primary were injured after a classroom block caved in while they were in class in March this year.

Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Larry Mavima said the Government is mulling a complete ban on mining activities in Kwekwe.

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