Artisanal miner allegedly assaulted and fatally pushed into disused mine shaft
A tragic incident unfolded in Shurugwi, as a 36-year-old artisanal miner lost his life after an assault that resulted in him being pushed into a 30-meter-deep abandoned mine shaft.
According to Midlands provincial police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko, the incident took place on Monday at approximately 7 PM. Decide Sibanda and Markos Ncube, both artisanal miners at Blue Bird Mine in Dija, were walking around the area when they encountered Prosper Moyo (36) sitting under a tree.
Inspector Mahoko stated that Sibanda approached Moyo, questioning his presence in the mine area after being instructed to leave by the mine owner. This led to a heated argument between the two individuals.
Reportedly, Moyo aggressively charged at Sibanda, seized him by the collar, and forcefully pushed him to the ground. As a result, Sibanda tragically fell head-first into an open and disused shaft that measured 30 meters in depth. Following the incident, the suspect fled the scene under the cover of darkness.
The following day, fellow artisanal miners successfully retrieved Sibanda’s body from the shaft.
Inspector Mahoko appealed to the public, urging anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of Prosper Moyo of 471 ZBS Shurugwi, to promptly come forward and provide it to any police station.
