By Lake Zone Watch writer
Government has closed the newly-found Ikinabushu gold mine in Simiyu region where 22 artisanal miners have died following the collapse of a pit in the area.
Simiyu Regional Commissioner Dr Yahaya Nawanda told TBC Taifa Radio in an interview today that the decision to close the mine was made “pending improvement of infrastructure in the area.”
“After inspection of the area, we discovered that adequate infrastructure was lacking as the mining law stipulates,” he said.
The deaths of the small-scale miners occurred this week at Ikinabushu village located at Gilya ward in Dutwa division.
It is reported that the pit apparently collapsed due to the ongoing incessant rains in the area where there was an influx of more than 3,000 – all seeking riches in the bright, slightly orange-yellow and ductile metal.
In recent years, mining disasters have become a common feature as the sector expands rapidly after undergoing economic liberation in the mid-1980s.
The sector contributes a huge chunk of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, but the rate should reach 10 per cent by 2025, according to the country’s development plan.