Trench collapse kills five
Larry Bentley
COMMUNITY coal mining activities in the Nongoma area have claimed another five lives, all women, while one person is still missing and a seventh is in hospital in a serious condition.
The five females were digging for coal when the trench face caved in, trapping them underneath for more than eight hours at KwaMinya in Nongoma on Monday. Jabu Ndwandwe (aged between 38 and 42) and four girls from the Msimango family - Thoko, Khumbuzile, Mabuyi and Bathiyephi (aged between 22 and 26) were killed.
Survivor Nozipho Nhlebela is in a critical condition at Benedictine Hospital at Nongoma. This is the second such incident in the area in the last two years.
In September 2006, four women, Ngenzeni Zulu (30), Nomusa Zulu (30), Ndoda Zulu (43) and Thulusile Dlamini (15) were killed in the Sibonelo area outside Nongoma.
These are not old mines, but the local communities collect coal from the area which is rich in coal deposits. The area was fenced off following a previous incident in which eight people lost their lives a few years prior to the 2006 deaths.
Appeals
This brings the death toll to 17 women and despite appeals through the Zululand District Municipality (ZDM) to the Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs regarding the safety of the communities in the area, they have not reacted and the situation has not changed.
The fence has, however, been cut and 'mining activities' have continued.
Responding to the latest deaths, ZDM Mayor, Cllr VZ KaMagwaza-Msibi, says that the ZDM is shocked to learn that these deaths are continuing.
She says that while the ZDM is aware of the unemployment situation in the area, the ZDM once again appeals to the communities to avoid working in situations that might put them in danger like the one at Nongoma.
Cllr KaMagwaza-Msibi appeals to the Department of Minerals and Energy Affairs to take responsibility and fill up all the trenches and secure all the places where mining activities were carried out before.
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