A 15-year-old boy has suffered a permanent spinal injury after a mine shaft collapsed at a disputed gold mining site in Bindura, intensifying a long-running conflict over alleged illegal mining operations. The incident occurred last week at Plot 9 in the Withington area, where Damascus Chisvo is accused of conducting mining activities without the required legal approvals. According to reports, the teenage victim was trapped when the shaft caved in.
An adult man also sustained leg injuries in the collapse. Both were taken for medical treatment. Authorities were initially told the pair had fallen from a scotch cart, but the account is alleged to have been fabricated in an attempt to conceal the mining accident.
The injured teenager’s family says it has received no financial assistance from Chisvo and is now appealing for help. The accident comes amid a protracted dispute between Chisvo and the landholder, Arinesu Mwedzi, a widow who says the miner has refused to vacate her property despite the termination of their mining agreement. Mwedzi holds an offer letter for a 43-hectare plot at Riverview, Withington Farm, in Bindura.
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In a letter dated 16 October 2025, she wrote to provincial authorities seeking urgent intervention to remove Chisvo from the land. She said the dispute dates back to 2011, when Chisvo approached her with a proposal to mine gold after indications of mineral deposits on the property.
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