In early December last year, it was reported that a Zimbabwean man was trapped when an old mine shaft in Matsiloje collapsed on him whilst digging for gold. After getting stuck underground on December 10, it has been reported that he lost consciousness. Members of the Botswana Police Service (BPS) were part of a search team that was sent out for days in an attempt to find the suspected illegal miner, but their efforts were futile. Furthermore, the illegal gold miners often referred to as 'Zama Zamas’, where they are popular in South Africa, frequently appear in court in the area. With many of them coming from Zimbabwe, they often cite the dire economic conditions in their country as one of the reasons for their involvement in illegal mining.
Recent reports from Matsiloje police revealed that the illegal miners were now using metal detectors. Matsiloje Police Station commander, Superintendent Oteng Ngada told The Monitor that the illegal miner’s body was decomposing underground because there was nothing they could do to assist him. He said that rescuing the trapped illegal miner was too dangerous for the officers to enter the pit. Ngada suspected that the miner's body was decomposing as time passed. He stated that flies and an unpleasant odour were coming from the collapsed shaft. According to reports, the old mine shaft is more than 50 metres deep. Ngada revealed that the illegal miner was in the company of other Zimbabweans when he was trapped, so they were able to identify him. Unfortunately, due to the circumstances, nothing could done to bring the man to surface.
