Workers Down Tools at Murowa Diamond Mine Amid W...

Workers Down Tools at Murowa Diamond Mine Amid Worsening Crisis

Witness Runodada | ZimNow Reporter

A deepening crisis at Murowa Diamond Mine has triggered a sit-in protest by hundreds of workers who have gone five months without salaries, amid deteriorating conditions at the once-thriving operation.

The action, described as a desperate measure by the Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union, comes as the mine faces operational paralysis due to mounting debt, unpaid wages, and chronic mismanagement.

The sit-in began earlier this week, with frustrated workers—many of whom have not been paid since February—refusing to leave the mine premises in a last-ditch attempt to compel management to address their long-standing grievances.

ZDAMWU confirmed that the workers, who have received no formal communication regarding their future since operations ceased in January, are staging the protest as financial and personal hardships worsen.

“The workers have reached their breaking point,” said ZDAMWU General Secretary Justice Chinhema.

“This is not just a protest—it is a cry for survival. These are employees who have gone five months without pay, who show up to work only to find no leadership, no support services, and no answers.”

Murowa Diamond Mine has been in turmoil since January 8, when the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company cut off power over unpaid electricity bills totaling US$4.5 million.

The shutdown effectively halted mining operations, plunging the company’s 689 workers into uncertainty. Despite this, employees continued to report for duty, hoping management would resolve the issue—or at the very least, communicate a plan. Instead, they were met with silence.

According to ZDAMWU, the company’s financial instability has worsened since the sudden death of its director, identified only as Hapal, in September 2023. In the months following his death, promises of salary payments went unfulfilled, and basic worker welfare services—including transportation, food allowances, and medical coverage—have either been slashed or completely suspended.

Local contractors and service providers have also downed tools, citing months of unpaid invoices. The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority has reportedly garnished the mine’s accounts due to unpaid taxes, further compounding the crisis. With its power cut, financial obligations piling up, and no clear leadership in place, Murowa Diamond Mine now stands on the brink of collapse.

A company spokesperson, Wilson Gwatiringa, refused to engage with the growing controversy, curtly telling journalists, “I don’t comment on these issues. Just stay focused on what we release as Murowa.”

ZDAMWU has accused Murowa’s management of abandoning its workers during a time of critical need. “This is not just financial mismanagement—it’s human neglect,” said Chinhema. “We are demanding immediate intervention. These workers need their salaries. They need to know if they still have jobs.”

The union is calling on the Zimbabwean government to urgently intervene. Among its demands are the immediate payment of all outstanding wages, restoration of power to the mine, and a clear plan to protect the rights and livelihoods of employees.

ZDAMWU is also pushing for long-term reforms in the diamond sector, arguing that the crisis at Murowa is emblematic of broader issues affecting Zimbabwe’s extractive industries, including corruption, lack of oversight, and executive impunity.

“This sector is vital to Zimbabwe’s economy,” said Chinhema. “But instead of creating wealth and jobs, it has become a symbol of worker exploitation and corporate failure. The government must step in—not just to resolve this crisis, but to ensure it never happens again.”