Geita – Conflicting accounts have emerged following the collapse of several mining shafts at the Msasa-Runzewe Gold Mine in the Geita region of north-western Tanzania, with authorities vehemently denying reports of mass casualties while local residents claim otherwise.
The incident, which occurred on the morning of March 29, 2026, has also brought to light a brewing controversy over the mine’s ownership and allegations of corruption involving high-ranking officials.
The collapse involved four shafts—identified as KO 46A, 47A, 48A, and 49A—at the mine located in Runzewe West Ward, Bukombe District. According to Geita Regional Police Commander Safia Jongo, the shafts had already been closed for safety repairs on March 27 following heavy rains that caused soil subsidence.
“We worked closely with the mine management to excavate the entire affected area to confirm that no human harm had occurred,” she told journalists. “The rumours circulating were alarming, with claims that more than 200 people had been affected. I confirm that although the mine collapsed, there were no human casualties.”
Keneth Mwakasitu, the Acting Regional Fire and Rescue Commander for Geita, supported this account, stating that search and assessment operations had been completed and no casualties were recorded.
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However, these official statements starkly contrast with reports from local residents and widespread claims on social media. Witnesses reported seeing a large number of people, including water vendors, stone crushers, and miners, gathered at the site before the collapse.
Some residents claimed to have seen an ambulance making repeated trips between the mine and the Uyovu Health Centre, as reported by The Guardian newspaper, though it remains unclear if it was transporting injured individuals or delivering rescue equipment. Unverified reports on social media platforms suggested there could be some death on the mine shaft.
The incident has also ignited a firestorm regarding the mine’s ownership. Social media reports alleged that the mine is owned by Geita Regional Commissioner Martin Shigela, with shares managed by one Cosmas Ignas, Abdul Ameir, who is President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s son, and an unnamed son of Suleiman Abubakar Mombo, the Director of National Intelligence. Police have labelled these claims as “misinformation” and threatened to arrest and prosecute those spreading them.
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In an attempt to quell the rumours, the Resident Mining Officer for Mbogwe stated on March 30, 2026, clarifying the official ownership. The statement listed Khadija Mkopi Mohamed, Amani Jackonia Mkaga, Boaz Lucas Nikse, and Fadhili Victor Malema as the owners, holding 17 mining licenses issued in October 2025.
The office noted that the mine, which began operations in November 2025, has approximately 2,000 shafts and involves over 20,000 people in various capacities.
This is not the first time the Msasa mine has been the centre of controversy or safety concerns. In January 2026, the JamiiForums platform reported complaints from small-scale investors at the mine, alleging a hostile working environment, coordinated theft of gold by high-ranking individuals, and threats from an official claiming “ministerial immunity.”
Furthermore, the mine was the site of a major disturbance on January 22, 2026, when police used tear gas to disperse an estimated 5,000 small-scale miners.
The miners were protesting a revenue-sharing agreement that required them to surrender 50 per cent of their earnings to the license holders, arguing that they had discovered the mining area before the licenses were awarded.
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Police justified the dispersal by citing poor safety conditions, including flooded pits and unexploded blasting charges, and alleged that the miners had become violent.
The Msasa mine collapse is also the latest in a string of mining-related incidents in the country. It follows a fatal sand quarry collapse in Tanga in February 2026 that killed five people, and two major gold mine collapses in 2025 that claimed at least 13 lives, highlighting ongoing safety challenges in the sector.
As authorities maintain their stance of zero casualties at Msasa, calls for an independent investigation continue to grow among residents seeking transparency.
