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Ezra Moyo points to the shaft where Muzondiwa Phiri suffocated in Esigodini

Pamela Shumba Senior Reporter
A GOLD miner suffocated in a shaft at McLaren Mine in Umzingwane District after inhaling smoke from a fire that had been made to break a rock about 22 metres underground.

Muzondiwa Phiri, 49, from Sibomvu in Mzinyathini, was with 13 colleagues when the tragic incident occurred at the mining area near Inyankuni Dam in Esigodini on Tuesday afternoon.

Phiri, who had made the fire underground, reportedly went into the mine shaft with Tinashe Magumba, 20, to check if the rock had cracked as the crew searched for the precious metal.

The gold miners were working under Gas and McLaren Mining Syndicate.

When The Chronicle arrived at the mining area yesterday, Phiri’s body had just been retrieved and taken to Esigodini Hospital Mortuary, while most of the gold miners in the area had left the mine saying Phiri’s death was a bad omen.

Magumba told The Chronicle that he got into the mine shaft with Phiri but quickly went out after realising that there was too much smoke underground.

“Normally we make fire to crack rocks underground so that we dig easily. Phiri made the fire and he later called me to join him underground while the others waited. I asked him if it was safe to go in and he insisted it was safe,” said Magumba.

“I followed him but I suddenly started choking and I quickly clung to the rope and climbed to the surface while he continued to the end. Since he was our foreman and had more experience, we waited and thought he would survive the thick smoke,”he said.

Magumba said after a few minutes they heard Phiri calling out for water and instructing them to pull him out.

“He asked for water but no one was brave enough to go into the mine shaft. I was still coughing because of the smoke that I had inhaled.

“With a faint voice, he then asked us to pull him out. Unfortunately he was not tied to the rope and we couldn’t pull him out. We shouted, telling him to tie himself to the rope but I think he was already weak. He then went quiet and we suspected that he had died,” said Magumba.

He said they called the police who informed the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and his family before the body was retrieved and taken to the mortuary.

Another gold miner, Ezra Moyo, said his syndicate had gone to the mine to eradicate some illegal activities that were taking place in the area.

He admitted that they were working without adequate equipment.

“We work under a mining syndicate called Gas and McLaren. We came here to get rid of some illegal gold panners who had invaded our mining area. We then decided to do our work while we waited for proper equipment from Gwanda.

“I wasn’t here when the incident occurred but I’m certain Phiri took the smoke lightly. Normally we wait for the smoke to clear before going underground. It’s dangerous to go inside because the shaft is not ventilated and makes it difficult to breathe,” said Moyo.