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Fire hell in Hwange scars young victims for life

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BY FARAI SHAWN MATIASHE

PICTURES BY KB MPOFU

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Six year-old Lincoln Tomu ambles towards his mother, Gloria Tomu, who is seated on the verandah of their home in Hwange, a town in Matabeleland North province in northwestern Zimbabwe.

It is a stiflingly hot afternoon in February.

Just before reaching Tomu (46), Lincoln starts rubbing the itchy burn scars that are visible on his lower legs and feet.

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“This is what my son is going through. He is in trouble,” says Tomu, holding back her tears.

Her son was burnt in an underground coal seam fire in September 2021 while with his grandmother.

“They did not know that the ground was hot,” says Tomu.

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“He stepped into a crack in the road. He got trapped and burnt his legs.

“He was rescued by a Good Samaritan after his grandmother called for help.”

Lincoln, who was in preschool at the time of the incident, was seriously injured and ended up staying in Hwange Colliery Hospital, a public healthcare institution, for two months. He still struggles to walk properly.

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This part of Matabeleland North is home to the partly state-owned Hwange Colliery Company as well as seven other coal mining and coking companies.

It is the heart of the coal industry in Zimbabwe.

Clouds of black dust rise into the air each time a heavyweight truck loaded with coal rumbles into the premises of the colliery.

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According to the Worldometer website, Zimbabwe had 553 million tonnes of proven coal reserves in 2016.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his government aim to have a US$1 billion coal mining industry as part of a US$12 billion mining economy by 2030.

They want to use coal to boost power generation and reduce the constant shortages of electricity that plague the country.

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The fire below

Underground coal seam fires have been causing damage and even death in Hwange since late last year throughout the concession area where the colliery operates.

They have been burning for years and cause the ground to be unstable, putting the lives of people, particularly children, and livestock at risk.

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Some of the areas have signs warning people of the dangers, but they are of little value if the areas are unfenced.

The Hwange Colliery Company has contracted mining consultants from the global DMT Group to investigate the cause of the underground fires in the town and surrounding areas.

A report is expected later in March.

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Most of these coal fires start with the ignition of exposed surface seams, but they can also occur in coal storage or waste piles.

The fires ignite through spontaneous combustion or natural or human activity, and they release toxic fumes.

Those who fall victim to the fires suffer a range of physical and psychological effects, according to a recent report by the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG), a research and advocacy organisation based in Zimbabwe.

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It says some victims are traumatised by near-death experiences or left with permanent disabilities that ruin their lives.

“The children who fall victim to the coal seam fires suffer a range of physical and psychological effects, which include post-traumatic stress disorder,” the report states.

Tomu says she is worried about Lincoln, who was supposed to have been enrolled in the first grade of primary school but could not as he is always rubbing his wounds.

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“I feel for him. He is traumatised. He cannot put on shoes because of the pain,” she says.

Lives changed and lost

Another survivor from Hwange, Preside Sibanda (17), has stopped going to school because of his burn wounds.

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Sibanda was injured in 2020 at a decommissioned mine in Hwange that is now a college.

“I burnt both of my legs when I went to pick mangoes at the old mine.

“I am shy to go to school as fellow students laugh at me because I am always rubbing my itchy legs,” he says.

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“If I stand for a long time, I start to feel pain. I miss playing my favourite sport, football, with my friends.”

The coal fires claimed the life of eight year-old Alisha Sekina Musvite  in November.

She was swallowed waist-deep by a fire hole at an old dump site in Makwika village, where Tomu and Lincoln also live.

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She died just days after both her legs had been amputated.

“Children, by nature, love playing. They are curious, experimental and love adventures,” says Simiso Mlevu, a communications officer at the CNRG.

“Most of the children who have been burnt met their fate while playing with their peers.

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“Some of the coal fires are near schools.”

To prevent accidents, the villagers in Hwange have been calling on mining companies to detect underground fires, erect warning signs and fence off the affected areas to keep children out.

Tomu, whose husband works at one of the local mines, says the family reported Lincoln’s injuries to the Hwange Colliery Company and asked for help with his medical bills, but to no avail.

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“I used a family medical aid, but I bought some of the medicines required by the doctors myself.

“We reported the matter to the safety manager, but all seems to have fallen on deaf ears.”

Thobekile Shoko, a regional organiser for the National Mine Workers Union of Zimbabwe, says it’s hard to apportion blame for the fires on a single company.

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“Hwange as a whole is a coal mining place.

“Where we stay we are told the houses were built on top of the old mines and these fires just appear,” she says.

Shoko says awareness campaigns have been undertaken in schools, but more can be done to prevent accidents and help the victims of these fires.- New Frame

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National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

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BY WANDILE TSHUMA 

A National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) locomotive suffered significant damage after catching fire while transporting export coal to Zambi. The incident occurred between Kalala and Matetsi sidings, resulting in the explosion of the locomotive’s fuel tanks.

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According to the NRZ press statement on Monday, “A National Railways of Zimbabwe locomotive suffered some damages after it caught fire this afternoon while transporting export coal to Zambia.” Fortunately, the crew members on board managed to escape unharmed.

The NRZ responded swiftly to the incident, dispatching a rescue train with crews to the site. The team successfully extinguished the fire, preventing further damage. However, the locomotive itself sustained considerable damage.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, with investigations currently underway. “Investigations are already underway to establish the cause of the fire and the amount of damage to the locomotive,” the NRZ statement read.

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Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

A 62-year-old ranger, Josphat Mandishara, was tragically killed by an elephant in Kariba yesterday.

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Mandishara, who worked for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), was on patrol in the Gatche-gatche area with fellow rangers and police officers.

At around 10 pm, Mandishara returned to the harbor where their boat was docked, and that’s when he encountered the elephant. The elephant charged at him, causing fatal injuries. His colleagues were nearby, resupplying at the Gatche-gatche Irrigation Scheme.

Mandishara’s body was taken to Kariba District Hospital for a post-mortem, and the incident was reported to the police.

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ZimParks has sent a team to manage the problem elephant and prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Director General of ZimParks, Prof. Edson Gandiwa, and his team have sent condolences to Mandishara’s family, friends, and colleagues. Mandishara will be remembered for his dedication to wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe.

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ZIMRA customs officer appears in court for criminal abuse of office

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BY STAFF REPORTER 

A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) customs officer, Phillip Kuvenga, has been accused of criminal abuse of office for allegedly assisting in the importation of banned motor vehicles.

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Kuvenga, 28, who is stationed at Victoria Falls, allegedly received documents from clients, completed valuation sheets, and carried out the valuation process. However, he is accused of endorsing different chassis numbers to deceive his supervisors during the validation and approval process.

After obtaining approval, Kuvenga would capture the correct chassis numbers in the ASYCUDA World System. He would then alter or replace the documents submitted earlier to his supervisors.

The offense came to light when a motor vehicle that had not yet arrived in Zimbabwe was found to have been already registered. A thorough check by ZIMRA led to Kuvenga’s arrest.

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Kuvenga appeared in court on February 1, where he was denied bail by Magistrate Gift Manyka. He is expected to appear in court again today for another bail hearing.

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