The only person to survive a tragic accident last Sunday, where a Honda Fit plunged into an old mine pit filled with water along the Zvishavane-Shurugwi Road, has pleaded with President Emmerson Mnangagwa to make sure the law is enforced to prevent similar accidents in the future.
The survivor, 25-year-old Calton Panashe Munyimi, lost his pregnant wife in the accident. They had just boarded the vehicle at the Musasa Bus Stop near the Zvishavane-Shurugwi and Mandamabwe-Shurugwi T junction when the car went off the road and fell into a 30-meter deep mine pit. 
Out of the five people in the car, Munyimi was the only one who survived. The mine pit is only a few kilometres away from President Mnangagwa’s rural home. 
Munyimi and his wife, Hazel Funhiro, had been coming back from an Apostolic church service and were on their way home to Ritfontein, just 21 km away, when the accident occurred. Said Munyimi:
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Without this open pit which is mined by Mhazo, we could have had high chances of surviving. The car plunged 30 metres under water and that reduced our chances of making it because if you survived the accident then the second hurdle was to swim out of the water. I plead with the Ministry of Mines to enforce laws and ensure that these pits are filled up. Cattle and goats are drowning.
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Munyimi said the accident happened just 1 km from his bus stop. He said the driver was speeding at 160 km per hour, had the radio blasting, and no one could stop him from driving so fast.
Sadly, his wife, Hazel, was buried on Thursday.
Munyimi is also frustrated because the community is not allowed to mine in the area, even though there are old, unused mine pits that pose a danger. He said:
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We lost young children who go to herd cattle; they were drowned. I think we have lost more than ten children in these pits, and today it’s my family. I can feel the pain.
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His plea to the President remains urgent: “Dear President, come and attend to this before we all perish whilst you are in Harare.”
More: <a href="https://masvingomirror.com/fill-up-disused-mine-pits-accident-survivor-cries-out/">The Mirror</a>

Pindula News

A man survived a car crash where his pregnant wife died in an old mine pit. He asks the president to fill up dangerous pits to prevent accidents. The accident happened near the president's home. The man says the driver was speeding and there are too many old pits in the area. He worries about children and animals drowning in them. He wants the president to take action to avoid more tragedies. The man is heartbroken and wants to prevent more deaths in the future.

Man Who Lost Pregnant Wife In Honda Fit Accident Appeals To Mnangagwa Over Disused Chrome Pit Dangers

Police have identified three people who tragically died when the vehicle they were travelling in veered off the road and plunged into a waterlogged, disused mine pit along the Gweru-Zvishavane Highway last week.
Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson for Midlands Province, confirmed that the deceased were Hazel Funhiro (19) from Rift Fontain, Aaron Mpofu (20), and Miriam Mpofu (28).
Initial reports had stated that five people lost their lives in the accident, but the latest information reveals that three people died, while another person is missing and presumed to have drowned in the pit.
Mahoko also confirmed that Aaron Mpofu was the driver of the vehicle at the time of the crash. He said:
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When they reached the 53km peg, the vehicle veered off the road to the right and fell into a disused mine pit which was full of water. The pit is a few metres from the road.
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He said one of the passengers, Panashe Munyimi, was able to swim to safety. Added Mahoko:
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Police attended the scene with the services of the sub-aqua unit and managed to retrieve bodies (Funhiro and Miriam), while Aaron’s body was retrieved by villagers after it was found floating.
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Mahoko said the bodies of the deceased were taken to Shurugwi Hospital mortuary. He said:
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The sub-aqua team is still searching for Abednigo Mpofu’s body and engagements with other stakeholders have been done to pump water from the pit.
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This tragic incident underscores the dangers of illegal, unregulated mining activities, many of which are allegedly supported by powerful politicians.
More: <a href="https://newsday.co.zw/southerneye/local/article/200039154/3-die-in-shurugwi-tragedy">Southern Eye</a>

Three people died in a car crash in Zimbabwe when their car fell into a pit last week. The victims were identified as Hazel Funhiro (19), Aaron Mpofu (20), and Miriam Mpofu (28). Initially, it was thought that five people had died, but it was confirmed that three died and one is missing. Aaron Mpofu was the driver. One passenger survived by swimming to safety. The bodies of the deceased were recovered, but one person is still missing. This accident shows the dangers of illegal mining.

Police Identify Victims Of Shurugwi Mine Pit Honda Fit Crash

Five bodies, including a heavily pregnant woman and three of her relatives, have been retrieved from a disused chrome pit in Shurugwi after a Honda Fit plunged into the 30-metre-deep pit on Sunday evening.
Shurugwi District Development Coordinator (DDC) Romeo Shangwa told <a href="https://masvingomirror.com/5-bodies-retrieved-from-shurugwi-chrome-pit/">The Mirror</a> that the fifth body was retrieved on Wednesday morning after water was pumped out of the shaft overnight. The other four bodies were recovered with the help of the Police Sub Aqua Unit.
Shangwa also said that the sixth passenger managed to swim out of the pit when the vehicle submerged.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson for Midlands Province, Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko, said the names of the deceased are yet to be released.
The Honda Fit was en route to Zvishavane at the time of the incident.
Abandoned chrome pits have long been a concern for Shurugwi villagers, who have repeatedly urged the government to ensure they are re-filled.
In January this year, a female inmate from Shurugwi lost her two young children after they drowned while swimming in one of the pits.
In a related incident, Tinashe Chigiya (26) from Makandire Village, Chief Nhema, Shurugwi, had a confrontation with a ZANU PF councillor in January this year following the drowning of a child in the Musavezi River.
Chigiya reportedly blamed President Emmerson Mnangagwa and ZANU PF supporters for allowing Chinese nationals to extract sand from the river, leaving behind open pits that pose a danger to children and livestock.
Chigiya is currently in remand prison after being arrested on allegations made by Ward 8 Councillor Audreck Mhaka, who claimed that Chigiya insulted Mnangagwa by calling him a dog.

Five people, including a pregnant woman and her relatives, were found dead in a deep pit when their car fell in. The sixth person in the car escaped. The police are still figuring out who the victims are. People in the area want the government to fill up these dangerous pits. In a similar incident, a man got arrested for blaming the government for not being safe. The scary pits are causing accidents and hurting people.

Five Bodies Recovered After Honda Fit Sinks Into Waterlogged, Abandoned Chrome Pit In Shurugwi

Six people are feared dead after a Honda Fit veered off the road and plunged into an abandoned chrome pit in the Gakaka area of Shurugwi South on Sunday night.
The vehicle, travelling from Shurugwi to Zvishavane, reportedly lost control before falling into the water-filled pit.
Shurugwi District Development Coordinator, Rome Shangwa, confirmed the incident to <a href="https://masvingomirror.com/six-feared-dead-after-honda-fit-plunges-into-chrome-pit/">The Mirror</a>, adding that sub-aqua teams had been deployed for search and rescue operations. Shangwa said:
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Search operations are currently underway, with sub-aqua teams deployed. Six people are feared dead. The vehicle fell into a disused mining pit near the road, and we are still trying to establish what exactly happened.
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Abandoned chrome pits have long been a concern for Shurugwi villagers, who have repeatedly urged the government to ensure they are re-filled.
In January this year, a female inmate from Shurugwi lost her two young children after they drowned while swimming in one of the pits.

Six people may have died when their car fell into a deep hole filled with water. The car lost control and went off the road into the pit. Rescuers are searching for the people who were inside the car. The hole was an old mining pit that should have been filled up to prevent accidents. This is not the first time something like this has happened in the area. Villagers want the government to do something about these dangerous pits to keep everyone safe.

Six Feared Dead After Honda Fit Falls Into Abandoned Chrome Pit In Shurugwi

Three illegal miners are believed to have been trapped in a disused gold mine in the Makaha area of Mudzi District for the past four days.
As reported by <a href="https://www.zbcnews.co.zw/government-steps-up-efforts-to-rescue-mudzi-trapped-miners/">ZBC News</a>, the trio was operating in the abandoned mine when heavy rains recently pounded the region, likely causing the collapse that trapped them.
In response to the situation, the chairperson of the Provincial Civil Protection Unit, along with local traditional leaders, visited the Makaha area on Tuesday to assess the situation and intensify efforts to locate the trapped miners.
Tavabarira Kutamahufa, the Permanent Secretary of Mashonaland East Province, said:
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This is a very unfortunate incident in our area and we are hoping that our rescue operations will yield some positive results.
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The trapped miners all hail from Gokwe; two of them are brothers, while the third is their cousin. Family members and concerned villagers are gathering at the scene, anxiously awaiting news and hoping for the safe rescue of the miners.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Three illegal miners are stuck in an old mine in Zimbabwe. They have been trapped for four days because the mine collapsed after heavy rain. People are trying to rescue them, including government officials and local leaders. The miners are from the same family and everyone is waiting anxiously for good news. Officials are hoping for a successful rescue operation.

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