MINES and mining development ministry officials say the owner of Antenior Mine outside Gwanda Douglas Sterling will be compelled to seal-off the mine shaft to avoid future tragedies.

This comes after six informal miners were trapped in the disused mine two weeks ago. Four were rescued by their colleagues but the other two failed to make it.

Regional Mining Engineer for Bulawayo region Engineer Julius Moyo said in an interview the mine was no longer safe to operate.

“If the owner had consulted us before re-starting operations last year, we would have advised him against the idea because the place is not safe to work in and the resources have already been depleted.

“As the ministry responsible, we will make sure that Mr Sterling does not go back to the mine. The shaft has to be sealed-off with a concrete slab and there will be a need to erect a fence around the area because the ground there is caving in and dangerous to humans and animals,” said Eng Moyo whose area of jurisdiction covers Bulawayo, Matabeleland North

He noted that informal miners had actually removed the concrete slab covering the shaft to gain access into the mineshaft.

The four gold panners who were rescued are now recovering at Gwanda Provincial Hospital.

One of the panners, Nephat Dube said he sustained some cuts on his left arm when he was being pulled out of the mineshaft.

Those declared dead are Jabulani Gomba (22), who comes from Mberengwa and Sabelo Ngwenya (21) from the Bengo area of Gwanda district.

Nephat (23), his younger brother, Mkhululi (20), from Gwanda district, Amen Mahlangu (21) and his cousin Bhekimpilo Ndebele (20) from Lupane district, were rescued on Tuesday night at about 10 pm by a rescue team made up of fellow gold panners.

Although a team of experts was dispatched from Mimosa Mine near Zvishavane on Monday all they could do was watch as the panners used their crude tactics to retrieve the four survivors.

The experts however, assisted with torches and belts that were used to pull out the survivors, the panners said.

Meanwhile, the panners gathered at the mine for the funeral wake for Gomba and Ngwenya admitted that the mine was no longer safe as most of the underground support pillars had been destroyed by panning activities as people searched for gold.

However, they believe there is still a lot of gold underneath and they seem eager to resume their operations once the situation returns to normal.

One Donald Pimbiki said Sterling closed the mine in 2008 and the informal miners had decided to re-open it last year when the government adopted the multi-currency economy.

“We could not ignore the lure of the rand and the US dollar and we came to this place and pushed aside the barrier that had been used to seal off the shaft.

“We have never looked back until tragedy struck last week on Thursday. We have no alternative source of income. If you can find me a job, then I will quit panning,” said Pimbiki.