By Ricardo Dias
Maputo (MOZTIMES) – The Mozambican government will order the closure of unsafe mines in the central province of Manica, in order to avoid future loss of life, according to an official source.
This measure follows the deaths of four illegal miners, when, because of precarious safety conditions, an illicit gold mine collapsed on top of them in the Manica district of Gondola on 15 January.
Interviewed by the independent television station STV, the Manica provincial director of infrastructures, Silva Manuel, said miners “followed the accident and saw what the results are when things are not done properly. We had warned that this could cause deaths. Later they saw that this was true”.
Manuel believed that mining for gold and other minerals has caused the collapse of other mine shafts, but the information on these accidents had not reached the authorities.
As for the Gondola mine, consideration is being given to re-opening it, but the condition is that the miners must set up associations.
This mine is more than 20 metres deep, and hundreds of people were digging there, claiming that this was how they obtained their means of sustenance.
The collapse of artisanal gold mines in Manica is a common occurrence. The area is very poor, and the miners claim they can only earn a living by digging for gold in an unsafe manner.
The January collapse in Gondola was the first case so far this year, but accidents in illegal mines in Manica are known to have killed at least 25 people in 2024. The authorities believe the true figure is higher.
Mozambique is rich in minerals, including gold and precious stones, most of which are mined in an artisanal fashion, which ensures that the State does not earn any revenue from these resources.
The Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy reckons that illegal artisanal mining is costing the State 60 million US dollars a year (RD).
