Mimosa Dominates Chamber’s First Aid National Competition Finals
Zvishavane-based platinum miner Mimosa Mining Company (MMC) dominated the 2024 Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe (CoMZ)’s First Aid National Competition Finals, with its First Aid teams claiming the top spot in both the Underground and Surface mining categories.
By Ryan Chigoche
The winners were also the hosts of the national event, which has been held since the early 1800s. The competition was born out of a drive to eliminate injuries in the industry and, for the second year in a row, was dominated by platinum miners, who took the top three positions.
With Mimosa claiming first place in the underground category, fellow platinum miners Zimplats Bimha and Zimplats Mupani secured second and third places, respectively, in a fiercely contested competition.
This year’s finals featured a total of ten teams from the Northern and Southern regions. Apart from the top three winners in the Underground category, other participating teams included Fredda Rebecca Mine, Ayrshire Mine, Shamva Mine, Hwange Colliery, Old Nic Mine, Zimbabwe School of Mines, and BMC How Mine.
In the Surface competition, there were also ten participants. Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) fielded three teams, with ZCDC Chimanimani clinching third place overall and ZCDC Chiadzwa taking second. ZCDC Chimanimani Processing fell short, finishing fourth, while the host Mimosa took first place.
Speaking at the event, Mimosa General Manager Engineer Stephen Ndiyamba praised the mining companies for their continued investment in safety.
“Hosting the competition provides an opportunity for mining companies to demonstrate their preparedness in the case of an incident. The mining industry is laden with risks, hence the importance of this event, which also shows that miners are investing not only in prevention but also in first responders,” Ndiyamba said.
There were also individual awards for the first aiders. The award for Underground Best Male Patient went to Simbarashe Chikwava of Mimosa, while Stellia Mazezewa was named Best Female Patient.
The Best Male First Aider award went to Luke Zvinavashe of Zimplats Bimha. Smart Amon of Ayrshire Mine was awarded Best Underground First Aider Team Captain.
The chief judge noted that all participating teams displayed good teamwork and wound management. The team captains were praised for their delegation and leadership skills.
However, the judge pointed out that lifting techniques, diagnosis, and the management of the deceased were areas where all teams could improve.