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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
ON the morning of February 21, there was panic at a government complex popularly known as the District Administrator’s (DA) offices in Kwekwe, after word that the complex could collapse at any time because the ground it was on was unstable made rounds.

The panic was substantiated by a circular from the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing which ordered an immediate evacuation of the complex after the building developed wide cracks amid fears that it might collapse into disused cross cutting tunnels that run underneath parts of the city.

“Please be advised that the cracks which are being experienced on buildings at the DA’s office complex have become persistent that an urgent solution is needed. We are suspecting that there may be tunnels beneath which may be nearing collapse. However, we have no alternative offices to accommodate you. We have appealed to government to construct new offices but our appeal is still under consideration as we have not yet received funding. You are therefore required to move yourselves to safe places,” read a letter written by a W Madamombe from the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.

The complex houses the offices of the District Administrator, Registry, Justice Service Commission (JSC), District Development Fund (DDF), the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services, Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and the Ministry of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment.

A Chronicle newscrew visited the complex in the aftermath of the notice, which was only heeded by the JSC (Civil Court) mainly because they have an alternative office – the Kwekwe Magistrate’s Court.

Other government departments have no alternative offices and if the building collapses, scores of employees and visitors will be killed or injured.

One does not need to be a rocket scientist to observe that the complex has over the years developed vertical and horizontal cracks which pose a danger to occupants because of the tunnels underground.

The building has large cracks on the walls, which indicate structural or foundation problems.

Some sides of the walls are higher than others while some doors no longer close signaling a structural problem.

A stone throw away from the complex, this reporter witnessed gold panners working their way down the tunnels in search of gold.

At times, workers at the complex say they hear rasping sounds of what sounds like shovels and picks sinking into the belly of mother earth.

The panners think only about making money and do not consider the consequences of their activities, workers at the complex said.

Kwekwe sits on top of one of the oldest gold mines, which was originally known as King Solomon’s Mine and later Globe and Phoenix Mine (G and P) in the 1960s and is now owned by Kwekwe Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM).

Mining activities started way before the town was built and today the evidence lies in the tunnels that were left which are now posing a danger to people and infrastructure.

Of late, the mining town has been blighted with serious illegal mining activities spearheaded by panners who have no regard for safety, human life or infrastructure.

The gold panners, experts say, are also targeting pillars which contain gold ore left in what are called ore zones.

“Some of the pillars will naturally contain gold ore which has now become the target of gold miners,” said an official from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development who spoke on condition of anonymity.

With the looming danger of a possible collapse of the building into disused cross cutting tunnels that run underneath the gold mining city – the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing has asked for immediate evacuation of the complex.

On January 12, 2014 at the G and P mining compound, Mr Alfonso Banda’s entire garden and a three-metre guava tree were swallowed by a suspected mine shaft estimated to be have been over 30 metres deep.

A miner on his way to work died after he was swallowed when the ground gave in under him.

Some houses belonging to G and P Mine close to the illegal mining activities developed cracks that were 20cm wide forcing authorities to destroy them and relocate people after the walls started separating.

In one of the activities, gold panners dug tunnels and emerged from under a classroom at Globe and Phoenix Primary School in the dead of the night.

The block has since been sealed off while there are continued fears that the school might be unstable and unsafe for continued use.

Mining activities are so intense in the G and P mining area that at any given time, there are more than 2 000 gold panners busy searching for gold underground.

Kwekwe mayor, Councillor Matenda Madzoke said his council called an emergency meeting after learning of the circular.

While he was not at liberty to discuss the outcome of the meeting between management and councillors, Clr Madzoke said more consultations needed to be done with relevant ministries to restore order in the city.

“We are aware of the circular and we await finer details from relevant ministries so that we do not put the town in panic mode,” said Clr Madzoke.

He however, said the dire situation has been worsened by the incessant rains that the country has received since the beginning of the year.

“We understand that the ground is now soft more so because of the incessant rains that we have received. The rains which make the ground soft and the existence of the tunnels could pose a danger mostly to the old buildings. But I would like to believe that while we await finer details, we are safe,” said Clr Madzoke.

The Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Fred Moyo, said the outskirts of Kwekwe were the ones that were unsafe.

He said many tunnels, although deep, were on the outskirts as compared to the CBD.

“I’m sending a team from my ministry to go on a fact finding mission but possible areas of discomfort are the ones outside the CBD, areas which used to be mined way back. As you move to the centre of the town, the ground is stable,” said Deputy Minister Moyo.

In 2014, Deputy Minister Moyo led a team of engineers to assess the intensity of the risk to the people and infrastructure in Kwekwe following reports that some buildings in the CBD and its eastern side were at risk of collapsing into disused cross cutting tunnels that run underneath.

Deputy Minister Moyo, a mining engineer himself, led the team on a tour of open pits and disused tunnels at Gold and Phoenix Mine.

“In 2014, we were sent by Cabinet to investigate and assess the intensity of the risk the tunnels were posing to the people and infrastructure and we compiled a report which we handed over to Minister Walter Chidhakwa. So I believe Cabinet is looking into the matter. But from a town safety point of view, it is safe,” he said.

@pchitumba1