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The mining sector recorded 59 fatal accidents between January and May 2025, compared to 58 during the same period in 2024, with the incidents resulting in 70 fatalities, just slightly down from the 72 recorded in the corresponding period last year, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
According to the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe’s Q2 2025 Members’ Brief, Fall of Ground (FoG) accidents remain the leading cause of fatalities, accounting for 37% of all deaths in the sector during the review period. Shaft-related accidents were the second most prevalent at 18%, followed by accidents involving falls into excavations.
The Chamber’s data shows that despite ongoing safety training and enforcement measures, FoG incidents continue to dominate fatality statistics year after year. This hazard is particularly prevalent in underground gold mining operations, where rock bursts, ground instability, and inadequate support systems can cause sudden collapses.
Historical Context: Early 2024 Snapshot
Earlier data from the first two months of 2024 gives insight into the scale and nature of such accidents. Official statistics from that period recorded 37 incidents, resulting in 33 fatalities and 27 serious injuries.
Of the 33 deaths:
- 15 were due to fall-of-ground incidents.
- 8 from shaft accidents.
- 5 from miscellaneous (sundry) causes.
- 3 from gassing and blasting.
- Single fatalities were recorded for hoist rope failure, slippery ground, TAT (Time and Attendance system-related), fall from height, tracking and tramming, and accidental detonation.
These early 2024 FoG incidents occurred across multiple operations, including Mazowe Gold Fields, Rosa J, Jim 6, Bibibi 3, Peace Mine, Cambridge Mining Syndicate, J&M Mining Syndicate, Master Cecil, Dalny Mine, Imperani 7, Black Bird North, Mimosa Mine, and Haygold Nee.
Provincial Trends in Early 2024
The January–February 2024 data also showed that fatalities were spread across several provinces:
Mashonaland Central: 4 fatalities across Mazowe Gold Fields, Rosa J, and Botha Mine.
Mashonaland West: 9 fatalities and 7 serious injuries across mines such as Cam and Motor, Dalny, One Step 16, and Imperani 7.
Matabeleland South: 3 fatalities, including incidents at Atlas 11 and Vumbachikwe.
Midlands: 12 fatalities, with multiple incidents at Jim 6, Peace Mine, and Chengxie Mine.
Mashonaland East: 3 fatalities and 18 serious injuries, including at Cambridge Mining Syndicate and Beatrice Mine.
Matabeleland North: 2 fatalities at Master Cecil Mine.
Manicaland: No incidents recorded in the first two months.
The Chamber of Mines continues to emphasise safety training, mine support systems, and strict adherence to ground control protocols. Fall of Ground incidents, it notes, are preventable through improved mine design, adequate support installation, and continuous ground monitoring.
However, the persistence of FoG as the leading cause of death underscores the need for more aggressive interventions, including:
Wider adoption of modern rock bolting and mesh systems.
Real-time seismic and ground movement monitoring.
Strengthened enforcement of safe mining depths and stope dimensions.
While total fatalities in the first five months of 2025 remain similar to last year’s figures, the continued dominance of FoG in accident statistics signals an urgent need for industry-wide focus on underground safety. The lessons from early 2024 and the latest Chamber data both point to the same conclusion: tackling Fall of Ground incidents is key to saving lives in Zimbabwe’s mines.
