BETTER BRANDS Mining has hailed the government and experts for rescuing 15 miners that were trapped at Redwing Mine — who were all yesterday extricated from underground, alive.
At the same time, the indigenous miner said it was disappointed and hurt by false accusations that it was responsible for 15 miners’ accident.
Speaking to the Daily News yesterday after the “miraculous rescue” of the miners who had been trapped underground since Thursday morning, Better Brands Mining general manager, Cuthbert Chitima, lashed at social media for dishing out hurtful claims and malice.
“We are relieved like every well-meaning Zimbabwean that the trapped miners have been rescued and are alive. God is great and we praise him for that. As Better Brands Mining, we join the government and all those that were part of the rescue mission, in celebrating this successful operation that ensured the miners were saved and are alive.
“This brings to shame those, especially on social media and some sections of the media, who were using this accident to spread falsehoods that the trapped miners were our workers and that the accident had happened on our mining side,” Chitima said.
“We don’t understand why people are insensitive, find pleasure is harming reputations of other people and wish bad things on fellow Zimbabweans, even in times of anguish, without any iota of fact. “In the last few days, our families, colleagues and boss Scott Sakupwanya, were subjected to hate messages, hurtful claims and damaging innuendos that we had killed these miners, even when everyone was wishing to have them rescued.
“Scott was accused of all sorts of things. This is sad and should not be tolerated if we are to build strong communities in this country. “We must make use of new laws to deal with falsehoods and propagating of false and malicious messages on social media,” Chitima said further.
The 15 miners — who were thought to be eleven at first — were trapped at Redwing Mine on Thursday morning when one of the shafts was said to have caved in. Soon after social media went into overdrive, accusing Sakupwanya and his company for being culpable.
This was despite that the mine is owned by Metallon Corporation, which had been tributing mining claims to individuals and private companies such as Better Brands Mining. As the government and Metallon Corporation rescue experts embarked on the risky process of rescuing the miners, it also emerged that the 15 trapped miners worked for Metallon Corporation.
In an update to the nation on Saturday, acting Local Government minister, July Moyo, urged the media to be guided by facts. “For the avoidance of doubt and contrary to some unsubstantiated reports circulating on social media platforms, the trapped miners are employees of Metallon Gold,” Moyo said.