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Marvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
A WORKER at Vumbachikwe Mine in Gwanda was crushed to death when a boulder weighing more than 1,000 kilogrammes fell on him while he was working in a mine shaft underground.
The incident, that left a colleague traumatised, happened on Tuesday at around 10AM.

Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Inspector Philisani Ndebele confirmed the accident and said investigations were in progress.

“I can confirm that as police we are handling a case of a Vumbachikwe mine accident and investigations are underway,” he said.

Workers at the mine told Chronicle Chapota Tsabalaka, 27, an assistant machine operator, was standing next to a machine operator identified as Innocent Mwakajileka who was drilling in the shaft when the tragedy occurred.

They said the boulder broke off a rock face next to the drilling operation.

Tsabalaka, who is said to have been standing about two metres away from the machine operator who was drilling, had his head crushed to a pulp by the huge rock.

Mwakajileka escaped unhurt.

“Mwakajileka told us that he is now scared of going to work because the incident traumatised him,” said a worker.

In a telephone interview from Lushongwe area in the district where mourners are gathered, Tsabalaka’s family put the blamed on the company saying the accident could have been avoided if a proper inspection of the place had been done prior to the drilling process.

His brother Paibu said the family was shocked to learn that his death was caused by “human error.

“We are in shock because my brother died in the most painful way. What happened to him is terrible and as a family we are still trying to come to terms with it. His head was completely crushed and that was horrific,” he said.

Paibu said they would engage the mine’s management on the issue and would press for Tsabalaka’s young family to be compensated.

He is survived by a wife and a one year old baby.

“We still have a lot of questions concerning the accident. We believe it is an issue of human error that has cost my brother’s life and we still need to understand how it happened. We will hear what the company has to say about it,” said Paibu.

Mishon, another of Tsabalaka’s brothers, said, “I am blaming the mining department. Why did they not see that the place was not safe? They worked there because they were told the place was safe to work in.”

He also said he was not happy with the way the company handled the issue as it communicated the accident to him late.

“The accident happened around 10AM but I was informed about it around 2PM. I wonder why it took them so long to communicate. The rock fell on him when he was standing about two metres from the machine operator,” added Mishon.

Tsabalaka’s body was removed from the shaft in the afternoon and taken to a Gwanda mortuary.

It was later taken to a Bulawayo hospital for postmortem yesterday.

No comment could be obtained from the mine manager Russen Thomas Chittenden as all questions were referred to Duration Gold in Bulawayo.

When Chronicle visited the mine yesterday, workers said an investigation into the matter was underway as some mining inspectors and other officials from NSSA were busy working on the case underground.