Online Reporter
Judith Phiri, Zimpapers Business Hub
THE engineering sector is lobbying for provisions in the Occupational Safety and Health Bill (OSH) to ensure the new legislation is proactive, mandating companies to prioritise workplace accident prevention.
The Bill seeks to establish a comprehensive framework for protecting workers’ health and safety, covering employer responsibilities, employee rights, workplace regulations, and enforcement mechanisms.
The proposed legislation aims to consolidate fragmented laws, align with international standards such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 155, and introduce new measures including whistle-blower protection, enhanced enforcement, and safer workplaces — ultimately reducing occupational accidents and diseases.
Speaking during a public hearing on the Bill (H.B. 6, 2025) in Bulawayo on Wednesday, Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers (ZIE) President, Engineer William Musekiwa Goriwondo, said the current structure of the proposed legislation is largely reactive, with legal provisions that only apply after an accident has occurred.
“The emphasis, which currently leans more towards the medical side, needs to be re-aligned to reflect a hierarchy of prevention — ensuring accidents are prevented first, with reactive measures serving to reinforce that.
“We have benchmarked practices elsewhere, including international standards, and are compiling a written submission. The key recommendation is that the structure of the Bill must prioritise prevention over reaction,” he said.
Engineer Goriwondo, who also serves as Pro-Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Business Development at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust), said the engineering sector would submit its proposals by 30 September, highlighting key aspects that should be included or revised in the proposed amendments.
Engineer Last Mabvu stressed the need for clearer definitions within the Bill, noting that some terms appeared to have overlapping meanings.
“An occupational medical practitioner, as defined in the Bill, is a person registered under the Health Professions Act (Chapter 27:19) with postgraduate training in occupational medicine or occupational health.
“I believe this definition does not adequately capture the role. Can any medical practitioner qualify as an occupational medical practitioner? If not, the differentiating criteria should be clearly articulated,” he said.
Another contributor, Ms Tinotenda Mandizvo, called for minimum qualifications, skills, and experience for occupational medical practitioners to be explicitly stated in the Bill to ensure competence.
“The Bill must mandate the employment of competent and experienced occupational safety and health professionals in workplaces. Additionally, we require formal recognition of the Zimbabwe Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (ZIOSH). It should be referenced in the management of occupational safety and health in the country,” said Ms Mandizvo.
Ms Mandizvo also advocated for the mandatory appointment of occupational safety and health personnel in every organisation with a specified number of employees — such as 20 or 50.
She said the current phrasing, which allows the minister to prescribe the employment of a dedicated occupational safety and health officer or professional, was too vague and led to inconsistent enforcement.
“The Bill should mandate the inclusion of occupational safety and health personnel in top management. Structures must ensure that occupational safety and health is prioritised in decision-making,” she added.
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Dexter Malinganiso (MP for Zvimba South Constituency), said the Bill repeals the Pneumoconiosis Act and the Factories and Works Act.
“These Acts have become obsolete. The causes of injury in 1940 are no longer the same as those today. We are pleased with the submissions received here in Bulawayo, particularly from engineers who argued that safety must be proactive rather than reactive.
“It is their view that the Bill is currently more reactive than proactive. They are calling for it to be aligned with provisions that ensure a safe working environment, where engineers play a central role rather than focusing solely on medical responses,” he said.
