Minister of Mines and Mining Development Hon Winston Chitando
By Brenda Mazhambe
Harare — The Government has warned miners across the country to brace for heightened dangers in the mining sector as the rainy season has arrived, urging strict adherence to safety protocols to prevent loss of life.
Mines and Mining Development Minister Hon Winston Chitando issued the warning in a statement on Monday, saying the combination of heavy rains, unstable ground and flooding had already resulted in fatalities early in the season.
“The onset of the rainy season brings with it grave dangers and risks that are a threat to lives and potential loss of equipment and damage to mines. Regrettably, we have already lost lives this rainy season due to flooding — something that could have been avoided,” Minister Chitando said.
With hundreds of thousands of workers operating in both formal and informal mines, the rainy season has historically increased incidents of flooding, collapses and unsafe working conditions.
Minister Chitando warned that risks such as drowning, weakened ground leading to falls, ground subsidence, and slimes dam breaches dramatically escalate between November and March.
“We experience heightened risks in the form of flooding, drowning, weakened ground leading to falls and ground subsidence, as well as slimes dam breaches,” he said.
He urged miners to immediately halt operations in high-risk zones and to prioritise thorough risk assessments before entering underground shafts.
“Where such assessment indicates any potential risk, miners are advised to completely stop mining altogether and resume when rains stop,” he said, adding that no mineral was worth a human life.
The Ministry advised miners to avoid working along waterways, sinking shafts in low-lying areas or blasting near old mine workings, warning that unstable ground could collapse without notice.
Other precautions include diverting free-flowing water away from shafts, avoiding pillar robbing underground and fully complying with safety instructions issued by Government authorities.
“All miners — large, medium and small-scale — must be cognizant of these dangers and take adequate precautions to mine safely and preserve lives,” Minister Chitando said. “Let us remember that human life is by far worth more than any mineral, so let us preserve it.”
The warning comes as the mining industry continues to push toward increased output and investment, with gold, platinum, lithium and chrome among the key minerals driving national economic targets. However, authorities say safety must not be sacrificed in the pursuit of production gains, especially during high-risk periods such as the rainy season.
