A network of illegal mining tunnels going as deep as 1,5 kilometres beneath swathes of Kwekwe’s central business district and residential areas are putting residents at risk, amid fears the areas might cave in, a recent Government study has confirmed.
The study, undertaken by the Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA), used high-tech geospatial mapping techniques that exposed an extensive network of tunnels ranging from 40 metres to around 1,5km in depth, which threaten the structural integrity of the ground and buildings above them.
It highlights the alarming practice of illegal miners targeting pillars supporting the tunnels.
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The report also details the hazards the tunnels pose to the city’s infrastructure and environment due to the proliferation of sinkholes and ground vibrations from blasting.
In March last year, a classroom block at Globe and Phoenix Primary School collapsed into a sink-hole.
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