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In the hills and terrains of Mazowe, where the ground once echoed with the sound of drills, progress, and promise, a chilling silence now hangs — interrupted only by the occasional scream, the crash of a collapsing shaft, or the muted mourning of families preparing yet another funeral.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
This is not fiction. This is Mazowe. A place once hailed as a beacon of gold mining potential, now reduced to a graveyard of broken laws, shattered families, and abandoned safety protocols. It is no longer news when someone dies at Mazowe Mine. It is expected. It is routine. It is normalised and that is a tragedy.
On a cold winter night recently, two men seeking nothing more than warmth sat by a fire. An explosion ripped through the silence, leaving one dead on the spot and another fatally wounded. Before the nation could process that loss, another shaft at Mazowe’s Starlake area claimed six more lives in a horrific collapse. The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirmed the fatalities. Yet even this, a mass casualty event, has not stirred the level of urgency one would expect in a civilised nation.
Why are we silent when the numbers grow louder?
A Culture of Death
The latest deaths at Starlake, a shaft at Mazowe Mine, are not isolated incidents. They follow a deadly pattern that has engulfed the mine. Week in, week out, miners perish. And yet, we continue as if nothing is wrong. Six miners dead here. Three crushed there. Bodies retrieved by fellow miners with bare hands, laid out under makeshift tarpaulins. These are not just statistics. They were sons, fathers, brothers. And their only crime was trying to survive.
Redwing Mine shut down in 2024 following a similar tragedy, prompting a government stop order. Mazowe, a mine of equal national significance, received a similar directive around the same time. But at both Redwing and Mazowe, action did not come. One can only wonder: why the double standard in Zimbabwe?
Lawlessness Reigns
Mazowe Mine is no longer controlled by its rightful owners. The mine has been overtaken by chaos. Over 10,000 artisanal miners, operating illegally, have taken control of its shafts and its destiny. They mine day and night without oversight, blasting rock with questionable explosives, navigating unsafe tunnels with no protective gear, no ventilation, no engineering support. These are not miners. These are desperate citizens, pushed to the brink by an economy that has failed them and a government that refuses to act.
Despite a stop order from the Ministry of Mines in March 2024, mining at Mazowe never stopped — not for a day. Police who ought to enforce the order claim they need “authorisation” to act. It has become so commonplace that journalists have stopped reporting every incident. The deaths are no longer shocking. They are routine.
Namib Minerals and the Ghost of Investment
Namib Minerals, the rightful owners of Mazowe Mine, have announced a staggering US$300 million investment plan aimed at modernising the mine, reviving underground operations, creating jobs, and increasing gold production.
But lawlessness has made the mine inaccessible. Namib cannot even begin exploration because the very ground they own is held hostage by people with picks, shovels, and guns. The company has one court-sanctioned agreement with a contractor that expired in 2023. Since then, several other entities have illegally claimed rights to operate there. Some have even filed court applications against Namib despite having no legal cooperation agreements.
The situation is absurd: the only entity with a legitimate stake in the mine cannot access its property, while those with no documentation dig freely as they chase gold.
Where Is the Government?
It is the duty of the government to enforce mining regulations. The Ministry of Mines has every right to shut down illegal operations, and the police have every legal basis to evict those trespassing on Mazowe Mine property. Yet nothing is being done. This is not a matter of policy gaps. This is a failure of will.
If 80 kilograms of gold are being extracted illegally every month, as some insiders allege, then that gold is being smuggled, depriving the nation of revenue.
The Makorokoza Dilemma
We must also confront the psychology of the artisanal miners — the makorokoza. These are not evil people. They are often victims of circumstance. But desperation cannot justify lawlessness. What is unfolding at Mazowe is not informal mining. It is anarchic extraction. There is no accountability. No records. No responsibility. If a miner dies, no one answers. No compensation. No justice.
Artisanal mining must be formalised, regulated, and Policed. Until then, Mazowe will remain an undesirable zone masquerading as a gold field.
The Legacy at Risk
Mazowe Mining Company is no stranger to Zimbabwe’s mining legacy. Once a cornerstone of the nation’s gold production, it has been reduced to a so so mine, its legacy tarnished by neglect and encroachment by unregulated actors. In January 2024, Namib announced its intention to resume underground operations. But lawlessness has halted every step of progress. Equipment has been stolen, infrastructure vandalised, and safety completely abandoned.
We must ask: how can a country that speaks of a US$40 billion mining economy allow one of its flagship mines to become a graveyard?
Solutions We Cannot Delay
It is not enough to mourn. Zimbabwe must act.
Immediate Eviction: The Ministry of Mines, in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Republic Police, must immediately enforce the stop order issued in 2024. All illegal mining operations at Mazowe must cease.
Secure the Mine: Deploy security forces to guard strategic shafts and secure assets belonging to Namib Minerals.
Fast-Track Investment Approval: Remove bureaucratic bottlenecks and offer Namib full government backing to commence its US$300 million investment.
Artisanal Mining Zones: Create designated areas for artisanal miners, with government-supervised safety protocols.
Zero Harm Policy: Implement an ESG framework that places human life above profit. No shaft should be operational without certified safety infrastructure.
National Inquiry: Set up a parliamentary inquiry into fatalities at Mazowe Mine. Let every name of the deceased be read into the record.
The Time for Silence Has Passed
This is not just about Mazowe. This is about our national conscience. Every week, another funeral procession leaves the gates of Mazowe. Every week, a mother weeps, a child is orphaned, and a dream is buried. And still, the nation watches.
Enough.
We do not need another death to know that Mazowe Mine is bleeding. We need courage. We need will. We need leadership.
The graveyard is full. It is time to bring the mine back to life — the right way.
