Martin Kadzere
The unified Occupational Safety and Health Act, which was recently signed into law by President Mnangagwa, provides a comprehensive and modern legislative framework that extends mandatory safety standards and statutory protections to every worker and workplace.
Beyond the regulatory milestone, the legislation is anchored on driving a productive economy by safeguarding human capital, boosting industrial efficiency and ensuring sustainable growth. By modernising safety standards and curbing workplace hazards, the new legislation aligns Zimbabwe with leading global economies where employee well-being directly drives commercial output, minimises costly absenteeism and reduces structural labour-related liabilities.
Addressing the broader economic and developmental implications of the new law Dr Charles Shava general manager of the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) — the statutory body mandated with administering national social security and enforcing labour safety standards — said the new legislation eliminates historical exclusions.
He said it establishes an inclusive safety net that treats every employee as a core pillar of a productive economy.
“The key aspect of this Act is that it now covers every workplace in Zimbabwe, and this includes domestic workplaces as well as the informal sector. It covers everybody in the country. No workplace is left uncovered,” Dr Shava said in an interview.
By bridging the gaps, NSSA inspectors are now legally empowered to enforce compliance across all economic spheres, ensuring that workers in industry, mining, agriculture, among other sectors, enjoy equal protection.
A particularly vital dimension of the new universal framework is integrating public sector personnel.
In alignment with Section 65 of the Constitution, which guarantees every person the right to fair and safe labour practices and standards, Government employees now fall squarely within the national OSH architecture.
Dr Shava noted that Government departments are proactively preparing, adding that the Public Service Commission has been working closely with NSSA to implement robust safety systems ahead of the law.
“We are very happy that over the past two years, the Public Service Commission has really been engaging NSSA and actually is establishing an occupational health and safety system for the civil service in anticipation of this Act,” Dr Shava said.
Expanding NSSA’s mandate
To effectively oversee the massive expansion in national jurisdiction, which scales up the authority’s regulatory scope by roughly one and a half times, NSSA is undergoing a major institutional reconfiguration.
Under Part II of the Act (section 4), the legislation establishes an autonomous OSH department within the authority, complete with a statutory director accountable to the general manager, creating a specialised leadership structure dedicated entirely to workplace safety.
To support this broader operational footprint, the framework establishes an independent funding structure under Part VII (Sections 37 and 38), incorporating the Accident Prevention and Workers’ Compensation Scheme (Statutory Instrument 68 of 1990) as the Fourth Schedule alongside funds appropriated by Parliament. Dr Shava said Treasury and Central Government will step in to bridge any funding shortfalls, ensuring that vital safety services, particularly in under-resourced or informal sectors, are fully sustained.
Industry-specific compliance
To operationalise the broad provisions of the new Act across diverse economic sectors, including the public service and State enterprises, NSSA is deploying a comprehensive framework of Statutory Instruments (SIs).
While the law preserves eight existing SIs carried over from the previous Factories and Works Act, management is pushing an additional 14 specialised statutory instruments through the legal system to address specific industrial and institutional hazards.
Dr Shava said these tailored instruments will govern distinct sectors such as mining, chemical handling and manual operations, ensuring that employers have precise compliance blueprints.
“We have already done some 14 SIs which we expect to push through the legal system so that they become adopted as SIs to support the Act,” Dr Shava noted.
Productivity and employer accountability
Beyond expanding coverage and updating regulatory instruments, the OSH Act shifts the national labour paradigm from reactive policing to proactive accident prevention and structured risk management, requiring employers to maintain formal safety systems.
Emphasising the direct link between a protected workforce and macroeconomic growth, Dr Shava noted that modernising safety standards aligns Zimbabwe with leading global economies where human capital protection drives industrial output.
“This is a revolution when it comes to the recognition of the worker as a critical cog of the economy,” Dr Shava said.
“We have always treated workers as people who make money for us and they go, but now it is the responsibility of employers to make sure that employees are part of that journey of developing a company. They need to work safely.”
Institutional enforcement
To ensure strict adherence, the law introduces robust enforcement mechanisms, including improvement notices, prohibition notices and civil penalty orders to handle industrial safety infractions.
At the same time, it maintains a balanced approach through an integrated insurance mechanism funded by nominal employer contributions, which absorbs the financial burden of workplace injuries and medical rehabilitation.
“The law provides for very stiff penalties and also spot penalties. The law provides that if you breach the law, our inspectors can come and issue an instant penalty,” Dr Shava said.
He said while the authority retains severe deterrents, its primary goal remains fostering a deeply entrenched culture of safety across all workplaces.
