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Amanda Chikari, Midlands Reporter
KWEKWE Mayor Councillor Matenda Madzoke has said the city is being shunned by investors because of false reports suggesting that infrastructure in the city was at risk due to disused mining tunnels below the central business district.

Clr Madzoke said prospective investors are now shunning the gold mining town due to false reports that it was sitting on a time bomb. He however said Kwekwe was a safe destination for any kind of investment.

The mayor said since the false reports started circulating about four years ago, no infrastructure had collapsed into the so called disused mine tunnels.

“Such negative publicity of the purported collapse of the city are unfounded and are costing us millions of dollars in potential investment as investors are shunning us. Let me assure our residents and potential investors that the city is safe from collapsing, we are not under any kind of threat,” he said.

“Most of our city buildings were constructed around the 1920s. Some developed cracks due to rains and other natural causes. So the buildings developing cracks does not mean that there are mining activities going on underground.”

Clr Madzoke said at one time the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing sent out a circular without council’s knowledge that people must evacuate from the District Administrators offices after cracks developed, but the building is safe for use.

He said not all areas in Kwekwe have underground tunnels and not every area is exposed to mining activities.

“Residential areas like Msasa Park, Mbizo and New Town are not even exposed to mining but most of the buildings have cracks especially those in Mbizo because of old age. That doesn’t mean that the town is under threat of collapsing,” said the Mayor.

@Amanda49