Jena Mines fresh-air team commissioned, vows to win the national competition
Mine Rescue Fresh-Air teams National Coordinator Mr Lameck Karikeka on Friday commissioned Kuvimba Mining House-owned Jena Mines FreshAir team with the team vowing to win in the upcoming national rescue competitions at Mimosa Mining Company.
Rudairo Mapuranga
According to Karikeka the team was well prepared and their station was well equipped to earn commissioning. He also wished them well at the coming national rescue competitions.
“I’m very happy for Jena Mines, the team was prepared and their station was well equipped with new equipment. Also, the team checking their medicals they are all fit, we are very happy for the team and we will be looking forward to seeing them participate at the national competitions,” Karikeka said.
Speaking to Mining Zimbabwe after the commissioning of the team, Jena Mines General Manager Mika Mutove said the commissioning is a great achievement for Jena Mines and the greater Silobela area as it will help reduce loss of life in times of disaster.
“The commissioning of the Jena mine rescue team is a great achievement and its importance cannot be over-emphasised. We have a team to ensure in times of accidents we minimize loss of life. In times of disaster as a mine, we need an on-site team. Also, the coming in of the Jena rescue team is a milestone achieved for the greater Silobela area,” Mutove said.
Jena Mines Rescue team trainer Timothy Mapinde said the Jena Freshair team is ready to take the number one spot at National Rescue competitions.
“Being a brigades man needs courage and sacrifice. It’s an instruction that we are going to be number one, I promised and it should be done,” Mapinde said.
Adding on the mine Safety Health and Environment Quality (SHEQ) and rescue team Manager Tatenda Hapanyengwi said his team was ready to win at the coming competitions and intends to build a proto team next year.
“This event is a milestone for us as Jena Mines and for Kuvimba Mining House, we have done a fit we weren’t able to do for the past years but at the moment we now have a commissioned team. We are very happy, we are very proud and we thank the Mine Rescue Association for allowing us to be a commissioned team so that we are able to respond to all national callouts issued to us. We intend to participate in the national mine rescue competition at Mimosa end of this month. The goal is to go and win the competition for the nondoning team. In the near future we want to have a prototeam so we intend to acquire 8 sets so that we have a fresh-air team and a prototeam. The commissioning is an advantage to the Midlands and the Silobela areas as we would be able to attend to all callouts within the region,” Hapanyengwi said.
A team member Ms Evelyn Tamirepi said, “We are going to be making history at the coming mine rescue competition”