A routine Thursday afternoon turned into a scene of fear and alarm for patients and medical staff at Makonde Christian Hospital after a powerful blast from the nearby Eastern Asia Mine — formerly known as Mhangura Copper Mine — shook the area, shattering windows and triggering visible structural cracks in the hospital building.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
The blast, which allegedly occurred around 5:00 p.m. on May 15, 2025, has since ignited public outrage over the mine’s proximity to the hospital, a facility that serves as a referral point for 10 clinics in the Mhangura Constituency. Concerned citizens allege that this was the 72nd blast carried out by the Chinese-run Eastern Asia Mine in close range of sensitive infrastructure, accusing the mine of reckless disregard for human life and public safety.
Residents near the hospital, including some within one to two kilometres of the site, reported deepening wall cracks, broken windows, and fears of long-term structural instability. One patient on life-saving support allegedly narrowly escaped injury, with the blast shaking the intensive care unit.
“The mining site’s proximity to the hospital, within the buffer zone, raises serious concerns,” read one account from a concerned local. “The site is approximately 150 meters away from the hospital structure, which is alarming.”
The sentiment among residents is one of betrayal and disappointment — a deep frustration over the perception that the community’s well-being is being subordinated to mining interests.
Eastern Asia Mine, which is operating the former Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) copper mine, has been operating in Mhangura on a site that once represented the pride of Zimbabwean copper mining. Yet while the Chinese investor has reignited mining operations, questions are being raised over whether this revival has come at the cost of the health and safety of Mhangura’s residents.
Historically, the Mhangura Copper Mine had considered relocating the hospital to the Mhangura Golf Club area, citing the presence of high-grade copper beneath the hospital. However, the plan was scrapped after internal disagreements, and efforts to establish a replacement facility in Alaska also failed to materialise.
Fast forward to 2025, and the explosion at Eastern Asia Mine suggests that little has changed in terms of prioritising people over profit. Worse still, allegations suggest that the May 15 blast proceeded despite prior knowledge that officials from the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and the Ministry of Mines were en route to stop it.
“It’s concerning that the company proceeded to set up and charge such a large blast despite knowing that regulatory bodies were on their way to intervene,” said one informant, echoing the fears that regulation is being undermined by corporate indifference.
When contacted for comment, Eastern Asia Mine’s manager, Samantha, referred all questions to ZMDC, the state-owned entity overseeing the mining operation. In response to a formal inquiry, ZMDC General Manager Blessing Chitambira acknowledged the incident and said the issue was receiving “the utmost attention.”
“As a stakeholder, you will be notified of actions to be taken regarding the above subject matter and issues you have raised. In the meantime, all blasting activities have been suspended to pave the way for lasting solutions,” Chitambira said.
The statement, though welcome, has done little to ease community anxiety. For many in Mhangura, this is not the first time a mining company has promised to listen after the damage has already been done. The residents want more than a temporary suspension — they are calling for an urgent, independent structural assessment of the hospital, an enforceable buffer zone, and full transparency on future blasting protocols.
There is a sense, too, that ZMDC must do more than issue reassurances. In a series of questions directed to Chitambira, I asked whether ZMDC had sanctioned the May 15 blast, whether any rehabilitation efforts would be undertaken, and whether the corporation intended to revisit the idea of relocating the hospital — a conversation that dates back to the pre-2000s but has remained largely shelved.
Blasting 150 meters from a hospital, particularly one that provides critical services to a catchment area as wide as Mhangura, is not only a question of law, but of morality. While ZMDC has promised to investigate and respond, it remains unclear how the institution will enforce accountability on its Chinese partners, who have shown what residents describe as “little to no regard for humanitarian considerations.”
What complicates matters further is the historical baggage of SMM and Mhangura Copper Mine, once a state-run enterprise. After its collapse due to mismanagement and political infighting, the community was left in economic limbo, and any hope of industrial revival was quickly overshadowed by disillusionment. Now, with the resurgence of mining under Eastern Asia Mine, the community hoped for economic revitalisation, not the demolition of its healthcare infrastructure.
As one resident aptly put it, “We didn’t sign up for development at the expense of our safety. You can’t talk about job creation when your hospital is crumbling.”
Whether the Makonde Christian Hospital will recover from the damage remains to be seen. What is certain is that Mhangura’s people are no longer silent, and their voices — tired but resolute — are demanding answers, safeguards, and a mining future that places people before profit.
