The remnants of an old copper mine near Musina is a cause for concern for neighbouring villagers. All that is left of the once-productive mine is a sinkhole, with a broken piece of fence surrounding it.

Musina has a rich history of mining, which started way before the exploration at the start of the 20^th century by people such as Lt. Col. JP Grenfell. Throughout the decades, the area yielded millions of tonnes of copper ore.

In 1992, the last mine (Messina - No. 5 Shaft) stopped production and was closed down. This ended 88 years of copper mining in this region. 

“When the mine closed down, it was fenced off,” said Campbell resident Sewani Kaunda. He explains that a sinkhole appeared, which was fenced off to stop people from venturing into the dangerous area. Over time, however, the fence was damaged. “Now this open hole is very worrying to us,” he said.

The Campbell community requested the Musina Municipality to address the risk and repair the fence around the sinkhole. They believe that it poses a danger to the community and animals roaming around the area. “Our children sometimes play around that area. This could be a very dangerous spot for the children,” said Kaunda. He added that the sinkhole could also become a potential site for criminal activities.

Mr Wilson Dzebu, Musina Municipality’s spokesperson, said that the issue of the open sinkhole had been reported to the Department of Mineral Resources, who are responsible for rehabilitation work after mining activities. “We are engaging with the Department of Mineral Resources to speed up the process of rehabilitating the fence,” said Dzebu.