• Zim zama zamas suffocate underground as heavy rains block mine exit with mud

  • Eight suspected zama zamas have suffocated to death underground in Limpopo after heavy rains washed soil into an illegal mine’s exit, trapping them inside.

  • FOUR Zimbabweans were among illegal miners, known as zama-zamas, that died at Driekop Chrome Mine near Burgersfort in Limpopo province, South Africa, on Friday.

The other dead, whose bodies were discovered on Sunday, include one South African and three Mozambicans.

One relative of the deceased, Tapiwa Chinemo, took to social media to narrate the incident, and said the deceased drowned following a collapse of the shaft as a result of heavy rains.

“I believe that the deceased drowned in the gully since there were heavy rains.

“I believe they were trapped after waterflows washed soil into all exit points and they drowned inside.”

sabc report

Zim illegal miners die at Driekop Chrome Mine near Burgersfort in Limpopo province, SA

Four Zimbabwean nationals are among the eight illegal miners who died following a collapse at an illegal chrome mine due to heavy rains at Driekop near Burgersfort in Limpopo.

Police spokesperson Motlafela Mojapelo said the bodies were retrieved on Saturday.

He said the bodies had been trapped at Ga-Maroga village on Friday.

Of the victims, one is South African, three Mozambican and four Zimbabwean nationals.

Police believe the zama-zamas were trapped after soil and water flowed into the entrance and exit points.

A Zama-Zama (plural zama-zamas) is a person who works illegally in abandoned mineshafts in order to retrieve metals or minerals. Makorokoza or illegal miners in Zimbabwe.

Investigations are continuing.