(VIDEO AT THE END OF THE STORY) A disturbing video showing the recovery of a body from an underground mine has renewed calls for stronger safety and emergency preparedness requirements across Zimbabwe’s small-scale mining sector.
The video shows rescuers emerging from an underground operation carrying the deceased in three sacks. As the recovery team reaches the surface, relatives gathered at the mine break down in tears, while one family member moves closer to check on the body.
The emotional scenes highlight the devastating human cost of mining accidents and the difficult conditions under which rescue operations can sometimes be carried out at small-scale mining sites.
Beyond the immediate tragedy, the incident has raised questions about whether small-scale mining operations have adequate equipment and systems to respond when workers become trapped or are injured underground.
Mining is inherently hazardous, but having the right rescue equipment and preparedness in place can make the difference between a recovery operation and a rescue.
Speaking to Mining Zimbabwe, the President of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF), which is Zimbabwe’s largest Mining body representing over 1.5 million miners, expressed sadness over the development.
“As ZMF, we are very saddened by this development, and we wish the Government could help by ensuring that such mines are closed immediately until full environmental and human protection takes place to avoid future loss of life,” ZMF President Ms Henrietta Rushwaya said.
She raised concerns that Small-scale miners are often known for taking extraordinary risks underground, sometimes because the pressure to find gold outweighs the fear of what could happen. But she emphasised that being prepared to risk your life is not the same as being prepared to lose it.
“Every miner who goes underground has someone waiting for them, a child, spouse, parent, sibling or friend. When an accident happens, the person who does not come back is not just a miner, they are someone’s loved one. The heartbreaking reality is that gold can be recovered, but a human life cannot. No gold-bearing reef is worth entering an unsupported shaft, working without proper equipment or ignoring dangerous ground conditions,” Rushwaya said.
“There is also a dangerous culture that can develop around mining accidents, the belief that death is simply part of the job. It should not be. Mining can be dangerous, but preventable deaths should never be accepted as normal. We always implore our miners to change the mindset from “I am not afraid to die” to “I have every reason to live.” Courage in mining should mean knowing when conditions are unsafe, using the right equipment and refusing to put yourself and others in unnecessary danger,” Rushwaya continued.
The industry, government, and mining communities all have a role to play. Safety standards must be enforced, rescue equipment must be available, and miners must be properly trained to recognise and respond to underground hazards.
At the end of every shift, the most important thing is not how much gold was recovered. It is whether every miner made it back to their family.
The tragedy captured in the video should therefore serve as a reminder that mine safety cannot end with the issuing of a mining title. Operators must also demonstrate that they are prepared to protect workers when things go wrong.
For Zimbabwe’s growing small-scale mining sector, making basic rescue preparedness a condition of mining permits could be an important step towards strengthening safety standards and protecting lives underground.
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