Desperate girls fall prey to illegal gold miners
TENDAI BHEBE
Socio-economic crisis has forced many girls to fall prey to illegal gold panners in Nkayi district, Matabeleland North Province, exposing them to sexual-related diseases such as HIV and AIDS.
“…They are a number of goldmines in neighbouring districts like Bubi and Kwekwe. So those illegal gold panners (also known as makorokoza) when they want to spend their money they visit Nkayi and they interact with our adolescent girls and young women,” said Mongiwabesuthu Ngwenya, National Aids Council coordinator for Nkayi district.
He added: “Now due to economic challenges they find themselves falling prey to those makorokozas who will have money to buy them drinks and so forth. Yes, maybe they engage in sexual activities with them and it becomes a key driver of HIV.”
The United Nations Population Fund also says early sexual debut and sexual abuse of female adolescents increase the girls’ risk to unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections including HIV.
Meanwhile, an illegal gold miner died in Cowdray Park, Bulawayo recently after he was trapped underground at a quarry pit where they were mining for gold.
“…The now deceased and four other male adults were doing illegal gold panning at Khumalo pit sand along Cecil and Coughlan Avenues, Bulawayo. They went inside the pit to remove gold ore,” said Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube.
There are several gold deposits around the city of Bulawayo.
Council recently said that gold panners had invaded Woodlands while threatening the Insiza/Inyankuni pipeline and Umzingwane dam.
The discovery of the gold in the gravel has attracted many gold panners who operate mainly under the cover of darkness.
