A mechanical hoist collapse killed six illegal miners and injured four others at Mazowe Mine during their Friday morning ascent from underground operations. The equipment failure sent workers plummeting 45 meters after they had spent the night extracting gold ore from abandoned shafts. Milton Trust Ngonzwe, Sebastian Dzaingwa, Tawanda Nyandoro, Edger Magenya, Elvis Kasaira, and Abel Majangara died in the accident at the Mashonaland Central facility. The surviving miners suffered broken bones, deep cuts, and severe bruising from the impact. Namib Minerals currently controls the property after Metallon Gold previously operated the site until 2018.
Recent violence has plagued the dormant mining complex where unauthorized extraction continues despite legal prohibitions. Courts issued cease operations orders in February while government officials expelled miners following April fatalities from similar hoist malfunctions. Three separate murders occurred at the location within the past week alone. Namib Minerals plans a $300 million investment to restore legitimate mining activities at the Mazowe complex.
Recent violence has plagued the dormant mining complex where unauthorized extraction continues despite legal prohibitions. Courts issued cease operations orders in February while government officials expelled miners following April fatalities from similar hoist malfunctions. Three separate murders occurred at the location within the past week alone. Namib Minerals plans a $300 million investment to restore legitimate mining activities at the Mazowe complex.
