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Police crackdown claims three more illegal gold miners
ZimOnline
January 12, 2007

http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=723

BULAWAYO - Three more illegal gold miners died in Filabusi district in southern Zimbabwe after a disused gold mine collapsed on the miners as they sought to evade arrest by the police.

The police officers are said to have fired teargas into the disused mine to smoke out the illegal miners. But the miners were trapped after the mine collapsed and buried the trio as they stampeded to get out to safety.

The dead miners were identified as Matron Ncube, 37, Daniel Ndlovu, 33 and Sipho Dlamini, 28, all of Filabusi.

"Daniel Ndlovu and Sipho Dlamini died on December 28 when a disused mine shaft fell on them after police had thrown teargas into the shaft to force the gold panners out.

"This led to a stampede as the miners trampled on one another while trying to get out of the pit. Three other unnamed gold panners were injured in the fracas," said a police source.

The third miner, Ncube died on January 2 from his injuries.

Police spokesperson Oliver Mandipaka confirmed the deaths of the illegal gold miners but rejected charges that the police were responsible for the deaths.

"Yes I can confirm the deaths, but our police officers were not responsible for causing the deaths. The panners died while dangerously trying to evade arrest," he said.

Zimbabwean police have since last year been cracking down on illegal gold mining activities around the country under a massive operation codenamed Operation Chikorokoza Chapera.

At least 18 000 people have been arrested so far under the operation.

The latest deaths bring to six the number of people who have died since December as a result of the police operation.

Last week, ZimOnline reported that three people collapsed and died on December 24 because of hunger and exhaustion after they were forced to fill up trenches for more than a week.

The three were identified as Thulani Moyo, 23, Mathew Shumba, 30, and Gift Sibanda, 37 from Inyathi communal area in Matabeleland North. - ZimOnline

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