Illegal miner killed at Fools mine
An illegal miner has been killed at the Under Care and Maintenance Fools mine in the Hopefountain area after being involved in ore-grabbing misdeeds.
Rudairo Mapuranga
The illegal miner, identified as Nkosilathi Ngoma, was allegedly thrown into a ventilator shaft at the mine, which is 130 meters deep and is feared dead.
According to Fools Mine Manager Thabani Masuku, this incident happened Tuesday night and was reported to both the mine’s office and the police.
The Police and the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development have confirmed receiving the report.
“The guys fought in the trench, where they found other guys mining, and they wanted to steal from them. The mine is not operating at the moment, so illegal miners took advantage, leading to the scuffle.
The miner ran through a ventilator and is feared dead.
The police have since arrested 4 suspects in connection with the murder case,” Masuku said.
Currently, the police have visited the area and conducted their investigations, but efforts to retrieve the deceased are still fruitless.