Should the quest for survival override safety issu...

Should the quest for survival override safety issues in small-scale and artisanal mining sector?

Edmore Zvinonzwa

Mining and agriculture have buoyed Zimbabwe’s economic growth with gold, diamond, the platinum group of minerals and lately, lithium contributing significantly.

In the case of gold, deliveries at Fidelity, a subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, have been dominated by the small-scale producers who have accounted for 63 percent of total deliveries at the RBZ unit.

While artisanal mining provides livelihoods for many, especially young Zimbabweans who have not been able to join the jobbing market or join the trek out of the country, the small-scale gold sector has lagged behind in ensuring safety of the miners.

Government allows artisanal miners to operate but under regulations of the Mines and Mining Development ministry right from the registration of the claim through adherence to safety standards.

The Mines Ministry inspects arrangements made and ensures safety standards are in place before mining commences.

These laid-down safety standards are, however, hardly followed to the book because regulation of mining operations are not being enforced, putting the miners at risk.

Mishaps have befallen mainly these unregistered small mines where the mining inspectors have no idea what they are mining, where and how?

About a month ago, two miners died after a shaft they were working in at the MJ Mining syndicate claim in Hwedza, whose ownership has been a source of wangling lately, collapsed.

Also, at Matsetshetshe, Esigodini in Matabeleland South Province, six artisanal miners, including four from the same family, were trapped underground when a mine collapsed.

At least 10 gold miners were also buried alive at the Premier Mining area along Mutare River, which is owned by Zimgold Fields

In Mashonaland Central Province, ten illegal miners were trapped when a shaft collapsed at Ran Mine in Bindura.

Most of the fatalities have taken place at small mines where operations have not followed regulations and where their enforcement has not been strict. This has mainly been at disused mines which artisanal miners invade and dig for gold.

Also, mining in the country, especially artisanal, has not been orderly, resulting in difficulties in carrying out inspections as well as compliance with obtaining regulations.

According to former Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando, the shortage of resources seems to be the major barrier to enforcement of the law.

“As a general thrust, to contain the accidents, there is need to increase the visibility of the ministry in inspection. Every mining location in the country should be covered by the mining inspector who should have intimate knowledge on each and every mining place. This helps the government to know potential risks and to mitigate against those risks, said Chitando, who has since moved to the Local Government and Public Works Ministry.

Added Chitando: “The enablers, the vehicles and other resources required have not grown corresponding to the increase in mining concession. As of 2018, we had in some cases an average of two vehicles per province assigned to the whole ministry to carry out its functions and that curtailed the effectiveness of the inspector.”

**Mines and Mining Development Minister, Zhemu Soda**

While agreeing on resources, Chitando’s successor at Mines and Mining Development, Zhemu Soda seems to place his hopes on compliance of miners with the obtaining legislative framework in order to ensure incidence of mine accidents is minimised.

Soda said it is mandatory for every mining operation, including small-scale miners, to have a Mine Engineer to ensure safe mining practices.

“One of the requirements of the Mines and Minerals Act is that mines should employ a Mine Manager, who is a qualified Engineer. Most of ASGM do not have the technical skills of the Mine Manager, Geologist, Surveyor and Metallurgist. Most of the mines are operating without these critical specialised skills,” Soda said.

Zimbabwe Mines and Minerals Act mandates that every mine must have a qualified Mine Engineer to ensure robust safety protocols as well as the implementation of best mining practices are followed.

The country’s response to mine disasters, like other mishaps, also needs to be revamped.

“The country’s response to mine disasters also needs to be revamped, considering that accidents that have happened over the last few months indicate that there is room for improvement in terms of how we react and equip ourselves to deal with accidents,” Chitando said.

International consultant, environmental and safety expert, who is also Toxiconsol head, Tawanda Collins Muzamwese, said the majority of mining accidents result from Fall of Ground. “Most fatalities in the extractive sector can be attributed to fall of ground where shafts collapse, burying miners underground,” adding that there are a number of causes to this fall of ground.

When a mine accident occurs, most do not see beyond the departed souls and yet they had families whose lives would be thrown into disarray.

Where rescue efforts fail to bring out bodies such as the four unfortunate Bay Horse miners whose bodies could not be retrieved by the time rescue efforts were called off. They needed a decent burial but their burial place has remained the collapsed shaft.

Perhaps the worst in this regard has been the Hwange Mine disaster of June 6, 1972 when 427 miners were killed after a gas explosion.

There has generally been total disregard of regulations and the law. The National Railways of Zimbabwe has recorded cases where miners have been digging up railway reserves, putting train traffic at the risk of derailment.

**A classroom caved in at Globe and Phoenix Primary School in Kwekwe after artisanal miners dug a hollow under the building**

The Globe and Phoenix Primary School in Kwekwe was abandoned after artisanal miners hollowed the ground under the school, leading to one of the classrooms collapsing, injuring some learners.

Negligence and risky practices have been the cause of the majority of mine disasters, especially in the small-scale sector. A recurring case is that of miners removing safety pillars as they continue chipping away layers from support pillars in search of traces of gold, until the pillars themselves are too thin to support the earth above, leading to eventual collapse.

Some miners get into shafts when the earth is too damp from the rains.

There have been suggestions that South Africa, which seems to have more advanced mining operations, could assist Zimbabwe with equipment in the event of disasters might appear noble.

However, South Africa has its own limitations as it has its own mining operations to take care of. Besides several fatal mining accidents have occurred in its own backyard. On November 27 this year, 11 miners lost their lives and a further 75 were injured in an accident in 11 Shaft in Impala Platinum’s Rustenburg Mines.

The accident, which Implats CEO, Nico Muller described as “the darkest day” in the history of the company which has been operating for 57 years, happened after a personnel hoisting conveyance which had been bringing miners to surface following the end of their shift fell down the 1km shaft unexpectedly for a distance of about 200 metres.

The amended Mines and Minerals Act should take care of all safety concerns, especially for small-scale and artisanal miners, who are not as resourced as their bigger counterparts in the extractive industry. This can only happen when the mining itself is regulated and the regulators know of all mining operations taking place across the country, as desperation, which has often forced risky mining to overlook safety issues, as miners turn these into survival opportunities.