One of the most deadly legacies of the twentieth century has been the use of land mines in warfare, and I was shocked to discover that the Zimbabwean army used these antipersonnel land mines to keep miners from running away from the Marange mines.
Antipersonnel land mines continue to have tragic, unintended consequences, even years after wars that employ them have ended. As time passes, their locations are often forgotten, even by those who planted them. These mines can lie dormant for decades, causing further damage, injury, and death to anyone who inadvertently steps on one.
According to One World International, there are currently more than one hundred million land mines located in seventy countries around the world. Since 1975, land mines have killed or maimed more than one million people, which has led to a worldwide effort to ban their further use and clear away existing minefields.