Miner Dies at Botha Mine Defying Government Shutdown Orders
A miner has died at Botha Gold Mine in Bindura, an operation that remains under a full government suspension order, raising urgent questions about the enforcement of safety regulations and defiance of court directives, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
It is alleged that Tinashe Chauke (DOB: 03/08/1997, National ID: 63-2522392N67) was pulled from a mine shaft belonging to Evelyn Mhlanga, the company secretary for Botha Mine, who has been listed as a legal representative in the ongoing dispute over Mining Lease 21.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Environmental Management Agency are now investigating the circumstances of the death.
The fatality occurred while the Ministry of Mines and the Environmental Management Agency had imposed back-to-back suspension orders on Botha Mine, citing “immediate and unacceptable risks to life, health, and safety,” as well as a “violent operating environment,” including shootings and assaults.
Botha Mine has previously been accused of operating without a valid Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and mining outside its registered coordinates.
Defiance Amid Multiple Shutdowns
On 8 April 2026, the Provincial Mining Engineer issued a suspension order halting all mining and allied activities at Botha Mine and adjoining areas under Freda Rebecca Lease 21 (Phoenix Prince), citing:
- an unsafe and violent operating environment,
- a breakdown of safety management systems,
- obstruction of regulatory oversight, and
- failure in accident and risk reporting.
The order explicitly required that “no personnel, equipment, or processing activities shall remain active on site.”
Similarly, on 9 April 2026, the Environmental Management Agency suspended operations at Botha 1–4 Mine after finding that the mine was operating “outside the coordinates of the approved mining plan,” constituting a breach of environmental regulations. Earlier, on 3 April 2026, EMA had ordered Guilder Treasures, a gold processing plant operating at Botha Mine, to cease and decommission for operating without a valid EIA, using VAT leaching across 90 tanks and six boilers.
Despite these directives, it is alleged that the mine continued to operate, culminating in a fatal accident.
The death comes amid a High Court dispute in which the Provincial Mining Director, Tendai Kashiri, filed a sworn affidavit on 22 April 2026 confirming that Botha Mine holds only 31 hectares (Botha 1 to 4) and “has never acquired any mining rights within the boundaries of Mining Lease 21,” which is owned by Freda Rebecca Gold Mine, a Mutapa Investment Fund asset. The Ministry also warned that any mining by Botha inside Lease 21 would be a violation of Section 5 of the Gold Trade Act.
A source familiar with the incident, who requested anonymity, told Mining Zimbabwe: “A person died at Botha, yet the mine has been closed. This is what happens when you operate outside the law. The regulators said ‘stop,’ but the mine ignored them. Now a young man is dead.”
The question now is not just who owns the gold, but who is accountable for a life lost while the mine was ordered to stand still.
Attempts to reach Evelyn Mhlanga and Botha Mine management for comment were unsuccessful at the time of publication. The Zimbabwe Republic Police and EMA have been notified and are investigating.
