Online Reporter
Judith Phiri, Zimpapers Business Hub
THE Zimbabwe School of Mines (ZSM) has called for zero fatalities in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector, urging miners to undergo appropriate training to strengthen occupational safety and health practices as well as reduce mine accidents.
The call comes amid persistent safety concerns in the sector, with 64 artisanal and small-scale miners losing their lives between January and March 2026, a six percent increase from the corresponding period last year.
Officially opening the two-day Mining Safety and Rehabilitation Symposium on Friday at the institution in Bulawayo, ZSM principal Engineer Edwin Gwaze raised concerns over rising deaths.
“They were not statistics. They were sons, daughters, fathers, mothers and breadwinners. Before we say anything else, let us remember them and the families they left behind.
“The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development figures tell us how they died. Thirty were killed when the ground collapsed, 16 died from the improper use of explosives and gassing, 10 fell into abandoned or unprotected shafts and four were lost to electrocution and dangerous equipment,” he said.
“The ministry has described these deaths as, in the overwhelming majority, preventable. I agree and when a death is preventable, it is not fate. It is a gap in knowledge, in systems and in our collective responsibility.”
Eng Gwaze said ground collapse and blasting reflect a skills gap and unsafe practices, while abandoned shafts show a lack of rehabilitation after mining ends.
He said it demonstrated the need for formalisation and adherence to proper governance frameworks, because a miner working in the shadows rarely has access to appropriate training, the requisite equipment, or inspectors who could have saved his life.
“We also cannot ignore what this sector means to our country. In 2025, artisanal and small-scale miners delivered a record 34,9 tonnes of gold to Fidelity Gold Refinery, about three-quarters of Zimbabwe’s national output of 46,7 tonnes,” said Eng Gwaze.
He said the sector sustains more than half a million livelihoods directly and many more across the rural economy.
“A sector that produces three of every four ounces of our gold cannot be allowed to remain as above. Safety and productivity are not competing goals. A safe mine is a more productive mine, and a
rehabilitated mine leaves a legacy instead of a liability,” said Eng Gwaze
He said the symposium was part of a longer story as some of the institutions present were born out of the ASM Academy held at ZSM in 2022, made possible by ZELO and ActionAid through the Global Environment Facility.
Eng Gwaze said the Academy taught them that when small-scale miners are given structured, practical training, they organise, they formalise and they take safety seriously.
“Since then, the School has trained more than 2 000 small-scale miners, 655 of them this year alone.
“That work has grown into a national mandate. The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development has tasked the school with establishing a presence in every mining province,” he said.
Eng Gwaze said their flagship course, the Principles of Responsible Small-Scale Mining, was built around the most common hazards faced in the ASM sector.
He said over three to four intensive days, participants learn to select mining methods and plan a
basic mine layout so that underground workings are engineered rather than dug by instinct.
“That is the first defence against ground collapse. They learn hazard identification, risk assessment and emergency response and the dangers of mercury, with safer alternatives such as the borax method. They learn drilling and blasting with specific attention to gas, dust, ventilation and fall of ground,” said Eng Gwaze.
He said courses provided by the School of Mines also cover mineral processing and tailings management, mine finance and planning as well as regulatory framework.
