Post date: Oct 22, 2010 1:43:32 PM
Unemployed youths in Zimbabwe's fishing town of Kariba risk their lives mining stone in a hazardous environment in order to feed their families.
KARIBA; ZIMBABWE , REUTERS - A group of young men in the fishing town of Kariba, Zimbabwe are relying on the mining of a rock, which is used to fabricate tiles in order to make ends meet.
Mining in the pits, which are located some five kilometers from the town, is dangerous. Locals believe there is enough rock to last decades - which means a steady income for many.
24-year-old Mistake Kamukana says he is willing to ignore the risks in order to take care of his large family.
"With this job I am managing to support my parents and extended family, our problem is the rocks are not selling as we would wish, just a bit, here and there," said Kamukana.
The rock is popularly used for house tiles in suburban settings.
Zimbabwe's once-vibrant economy has been shattered by President Robert Mugabe's policies, particularly the seizure of white-owned farms for the resettlement of landless blacks. About 85 percent of Zimbabwe's 12.5 million people live on less than a 1 U.S. dollar a day.
Kamukana has been doing this job since 1991 without any protective clothing despite exposure to dust and falling rocks.
Geographers have also said the ground they work on is not stable and can collapse at any time but there are no set regulations.
"We are meant to work wearing gumboots, helmets and gloves so that we don't get injured, but we cant afford because the money is not enough" said Kamukana.
The miners pay the local environmental authorities 50 U.S. dollars a month to get permission to mine but they say their safety has never been discussed.
They sell the rocks at 1.50 U.S. dollars per square meter to local buyers, many who come from the capital, Harare.
"In a good month when buyers come, I can make about 300 U.S. dollars, we also pay the local authorities to be able to work freely," added Kamukana.
According to another miner, who refused to be named, rock has been mined here since the 1990s and it has been used as a source of income for the community for many years.
The town of Kariba is a commercial fishing center and boasts a popular resort lake, airport, harbor, lakeside hotels and lodges.