Sekai Manyere-Herald Reporter
GOVERNMENT has enacted the Occupational Safety and Health Act No. 7 of 2026, a new law that puts the health, safety and dignity of workers at the centre of national development.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Edgar Moyo said the welfare of workers extends beyond income security in retirement.
He said that it begins with protecting their lives, health and safety throughout their working lives.
“It is against this background that Government has enacted the Occupational Safety and Health Act No. 7 of 2026, establishing a comprehensive legislative framework for the promotion and regulation of occupational safety and health across workplaces,” he said.
He said the Act gives effect to the constitutional right to fair and safe labour practices and standards.
“It also strengthens the national framework for preventing occupational injuries, diseases, and fatalities while promoting a culture in which workplace safety and health are recognised as shared responsibilities,” said the minister.
The minister said the developments were firmly anchored in Vision 2030, which seeks to transform Zimbabwe into a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income society by 2030.
“We also support the National Development Strategy 2, particularly on social protection, human capital development, decent work and inclusive economic growth,” he said.
He said the Government’s ongoing efforts were aimed at strengthening social protection, enhancing the welfare of workers, beneficiaries and building a resilient economy in which every citizen has the opportunity to live and work with dignity.
“The new Act advances occupational safety and health through four critical areas, with a strong focus on prevention of disease, injury and death at work,” said Minister Moyo.
The first, he said is institutional strengthening and coordination, the Act provides for the institutional administration of the occupational safety and health system, including the Occupational Safety and Health Department within NSSA, the National Bureau of Occupational Diseases, and the Zimbabwe Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Council.
He said the Occupational Safety and Health Department is already operational, and the Act provides a strengthened statutory framework for its role in administering and promoting occupational safety and health.
Minister Moyo said this structure is expected to improve the early detection, reporting and management of occupational diseases, which often develop slowly and go unnoticed until they cause serious harm.
The second he said, is clear delineation of responsibilities, the legislation defines the responsibilities of employers, workers and other relevant stakeholders, including designers, manufacturers, importers, suppliers and distributors.
“It reinforces the obligation to identify, prevent, and manage workplaces and promotes shared accountability for safe and healthy working environments,” he said.
“Under the law, employers must identify hazards, prevent risks and manage workplaces in a way that protects workers’ health. Workers also have a duty to follow safety measures and to report unsafe conditions,.”
The third, he said, is workplace regulation and oversight, the Act strengthens provisions relating to the registration, control of workplaces, the safety of machinery and the notification of occupational accidents and diseases.
He said these measures are intended to enhance prevention, monitoring, compliance across workplaces, whether temporary or permanent and they are also meant to ensure that accidents and diseases are reported on time so that action can be taken to protect other workers.
The fourth is enforcement and accountability, the legislation provides for the appointment and powers of inspectors, workplace investigations, improvement and prohibition notices, and penalties for non-compliance.
This reinforces the principle that occupational safety and health obligations must be observed and that violations attract appropriate consequences.
“The Act, therefore, represents an important step towards moving from a largely reactive approach to workplace safety towards a stronger culture of prevention, compliance, and accountability,” the Minister said.
He said its successful implementation will require the active participation of employers, workers, organised labour, business associations, regulatory institutions and other social partners.
“Safe workplaces are not only a legal obligation. They are also essential to productivity, business sustainability, and national development,” said the minister.
The Minister said healthy workers are the backbone of a productive economy, when workers are injured or fall sick because of unsafe conditions, families suffer, businesses lose skilled staff and the country loses productivity.
He said Government will continue to provide policy direction and institutional support to translate the commitments into tangible outcomes.
“Our enduring objective is to safeguard the welfare of workers throughout their productive years, ensure that no one loses their life in the course of productive activity, uphold dignity and financial security in return, and preserve the sustainability of our social security system for generations to come,” he said.
