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Michael Magoronga – [email protected]

KWEKWE residents are living in fear following a series of underground mine blasts that have been taking place at a mine near the city centre.

Business would come to a standstill as the huge blasts accompanied by loud noises would take place at Roasting Plant, just a stone throw away from the city centre.

The gold refectory plant is reportedly under the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) who took over operations of the plant which has been lying idle for more than 20 years.

Besides the gold refinery plant, Roasting Plant is understood to have underground mining tunnels where gold ore is extracted.

It took the intervention of Kwekwe residents, who wrote a petition through the Kwekwe District Development Coordinator Mr Fortune Mpungu complaining about the noise pollution as well as their buildings which they claim were being damaged by the blast, for the blasts to stop.

In a petition addressed to the Midlands Provincial Mining Director and signed by Mr Mpungu, who is also the Civil Protection Unit chairperson, and several other residents, the residents said the blasting should stop before disaster strikes.

“I on behalf of Kwekwe residents write to register my complaint over blasting that is taking place at Roasting Plant Mine Kwekwe within the vicinity of Kwekwe Central Business District. The blasting has been happening since 13 July 2024 and the shaking of all nearby buildings and the accompanying noise is scary. The undersigned residents hereby demand that investigations be instituted and that such blasting be stopped forthwith. The request is hereby made in the interest of the public safety and to respect people’s personal environment,” read the petition.

This comes after a geo-survey report that Kwekwe is precariously hanging on top of underground mining tunnels owing to underground mining activities.

The government recently directed the relocation of some government departments including the DDC offices after it was discovered that their offices are on top of mining tunnels.

Last year, a school, Globe and Phoenix Primary, had to be abandoned after some classroom blocks fell into an underground mining tunnel, injuring some learners in the process.