In a decisive move to curb the rising tide of mining fatalities, the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Hon. Dr. Polite Kambamura (MP), has announced the establishment of a 24-Hour Mining Accident Response Call Centre, a round-the-clock national emergency line dedicated to reporting mine accidents, collapses, entrapments, and unsafe conditions, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Speaking at the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development staff workshop in the capital, the Minister declared that no part of the Ministry’s mandate is more sacred than the protection of human life.
“In the first quarter of this year alone, sixty-four artisanal and small-scale miners lost their lives, the majority in ground and shaft collapses. These are not statistics. Each one was a father, a mother, a son, or a daughter; each one a Zimbabwean we are sworn to protect.”
The Minister warned that record mineral revenues must never blind the sector to this tragic loss of life.
“A system that produces such a toll is a system that demands urgent repair, and that repair begins with us.”
The new facility will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with a single, well-publicised national number accessible to all miners, communities, and mine operators. When an accident is reported:
- The Centre will log every report and immediately alert the Government Mining Engineer and the provincial response team.
- It will coordinate rescue efforts and liaise with health and security services.
- Each incident will be tracked to its conclusion.
- For the first time, the Ministry will gather real-time data to anticipate danger and hold mining operations accountable.
“When a miner is trapped underground at two o’clock in the morning, the speed of our response will be measured in lives. Let it never be said that help came too late because no one was listening.”
The Minister acknowledged that establishing the Centre will require commitment from across the mining sector, including inspectors, provincial mining directors, mining operations, and the communications team.
“I ask you to embrace it,” Dr. Kambamura urged.
The announcement forms part of a broader push towards Zero Harm, including digital inspection platforms, whistleblower protections, and a US$2 million National Safety Enforcement Blitz. Weekly inspectorate reports will now flow directly to the Ministry, and a new environment department will tackle unregulated tailings dams and open pits.
The Minister repeated his warning against corruption or negligence in reporting accidents. Mine managers who fail to notify the Ministry of incidents will face penalties.
“No ounce of gold, no tonne of coal, no carat of diamond is worth a human life,” he said.
The 24-Hour Mining Accident Response Call Centre is expected to become operational within the coming months, with the national number to be widely publicised across all mining provinces.
