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Freedom Mupanedemo-Midlands Bureau

Seven pupils at Globe and Phoenix Primary School in Kwekwe were injured when their classroom block caved in yesterday morning after illegal gold miners undermined the foundations and tunnelled under the floor in their insatiable quest for riches, regardless of the damage and risk. 

The large pit, where the classroom had been, was a direct result of the massive illegal gold mining underneath the school grounds and its environs with visible cracks on the walls of some of the other classroom blocks. 

When The Herald arrived at the school yesterday, the injured pupils had already been rushed to Kwekwe District Hospital for assessment. The injuries were found to be minor but the pupils are now scared, as are their parents. 

Even those who escaped unhurt were seated outside while waiting for counselling after the traumatic cave-in and watching rescue teams from the District Civil Protection Unit retrieving their belongings and stationery from the huge pit that was once their classroom. 

Some of the pupils interviewed said they were still traumatised by the incident. 

“I also went down with the caving floor with my chair but luckily I landed on top of some classmates who fell in first. I was retrieved by my teacher together with other, girls but I am still traumatised by the incident,” said Mercy Hove. 

The girl said her friend, Natasha Murime, was injured and was taken to the hospital.

“I don’t feel any pain. I am okay but I am very worried that my friend was injured and was taken to hospital. 

A boy from the class, Gilbert Ndoro, said he was stepping on other pupils as he climbed out of the pit. 

“I also fell into the pit but I quickly reacted but unfortunately I stepped on my colleagues as I got out of the pit where I had fell into with my desk,” he said. 

Gilbert said they all panicked thinking it was an earthquake that had hit the school.

A parent, Mr Tapiwa Matore said the school was supposed to be decommissioned and rebuilt elsewhere. 

“We are very worried as parents because we raised this issue long back. This school is in itself a danger to the pupils because the gullies that were left by the illegal panners are all over. Some classroom blocks have visible cracks on the walls but the authorities were defiant,” she said. 

Mrs Leonora Ndlovu, another parent, said the school should be relocated. 

“The school should just be relocated because illegal gold panning activities around the school will never stop. They come at night to do their work and you can’t beat their trickery so its very difficult to deal with illegal gold panners,” she said. 

Kwekwe District Development Co-ordinator Mr Fortune Mpungu said all the injuries were minor.