Five miners lived through six awful days stuck deep inside a mine in Filabusi. They stayed alive by drinking small bits of mahewu sent down with a rope. The darkness almost took them, but they made it back.
Charles Ndebele runs this gold mine. He did not tell the Civil Protection Unit, local Fire Brigade, or police when his workers got trapped. After the miners came out safe, someone made a video. This person told the saved men that their boss kept quiet about their trouble.
These safety groups usually help people stuck in fallen shafts. They check if the trapped folks can be saved without putting rescue teams at risk.
Local people and other miners started looking for them three days after the ground fell in. Mr. Ndebele told everyone his workers had time off to rest. By day three, other miners thought something was wrong. The mine boss then told the truth—five men were stuck below ground.
Someone called the police next. The trapped miners drank mahewu and passed through a small hole for six days before they came out alive.
When asked about this, Mr. Ndebele became angry. He asked if the reporter wanted to hurt his name. He said he worried very much about his workers and wanted them back safe.
Bad things happened at other mines before. In 2019, five miners died when a tunnel broke at Nugget Gold Mine in Matobo. About 15 men were underground when it happened. More than 1,000 miners had rushed there after hearing about gold finds. Helpers dug out the dead bodies. Most miners ran away when their friends got buried.
Seven more miners got trapped in 2022 at Interfah Mine, also called Success Mine, in Matobo District. They went there because people talked about finding lots of gold.
Charles Ndebele runs this gold mine. He did not tell the Civil Protection Unit, local Fire Brigade, or police when his workers got trapped. After the miners came out safe, someone made a video. This person told the saved men that their boss kept quiet about their trouble.
These safety groups usually help people stuck in fallen shafts. They check if the trapped folks can be saved without putting rescue teams at risk.
Local people and other miners started looking for them three days after the ground fell in. Mr. Ndebele told everyone his workers had time off to rest. By day three, other miners thought something was wrong. The mine boss then told the truth—five men were stuck below ground.
Someone called the police next. The trapped miners drank mahewu and passed through a small hole for six days before they came out alive.
When asked about this, Mr. Ndebele became angry. He asked if the reporter wanted to hurt his name. He said he worried very much about his workers and wanted them back safe.
Bad things happened at other mines before. In 2019, five miners died when a tunnel broke at Nugget Gold Mine in Matobo. About 15 men were underground when it happened. More than 1,000 miners had rushed there after hearing about gold finds. Helpers dug out the dead bodies. Most miners ran away when their friends got buried.
Seven more miners got trapped in 2022 at Interfah Mine, also called Success Mine, in Matobo District. They went there because people talked about finding lots of gold.
