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The government is working on shutdown of mining activities that are deemed to be illegal and unsafe. Stiffer penalties are also expected to be imposed on people found conducting mining activities at unsafe and illegal mines.
The country recorded 237 mining-related deaths from 212 accidents last year which is an increase from 139 cases recorded in 2022 from 121 accidents. In January 15 miners were trapped for four days when a shaft collapsed at the Redwing gold mine in Penhalonga. Two artisanal miners died as a result of a mineshaft collapse at Master Cecil Mine in Umguza district, Matabeleland North province.
In collaboration with the Ministries of Mines and Mining Development, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, and Environment, Climate, and Wildlife has decided to act on the accidents and fight against unsafe and illegal mining activities.
Mines and Mining Development Deputy Minister Polite Kambamura announced the new measures, “We came up with resolutions, chief among them was our combined teams which come from the environment, through EMA [Environmental Management Agency] and Home Affairs, through the police, to go around and check on compliance.”
Kambamura said, “The teams would be checking on compliance in terms of registration and safer mining standards. Perpetrators would be prosecuted and stiffer penalties would be imposed to send the right message to the people”.
“We also deliberated on coming up with a statutory instrument, which empowers local communities to report any unsafe mining standards in their area and wherever they suspect there could be illegal mining or unregistered mining taking place,” he said.
Artisanal miners and other mining companies have been accused of environmental degradation that poses a threat to livestock, aquatic life, human life, and the environment. The communities have been losing livestock.
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