It’s been over two years since the ground at Globe and Phoenix Primary School in Kwekwe opened up, swallowing classrooms, injuring terrified children, and exposing just how recklessly illegal mining can intersect with our communities, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Back then, in March 2023, videos of frantic teachers pulling pupils from rubble went viral. News outlets reported on the tragedy that injured at least 14 learners, a scene that stunned Zimbabwe and put Kwekwe’s underground chaos on the global map.
Fast forward to today: the government says the reconstruction of Globe & Phoenix is 78% complete, with September 2025 set as the date for reopening the new campus that will accommodate 785 learners, a massive relief for families who have watched their children study in makeshift facilities since the collapse.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Nick Mangwana, confirmed the progress:
“The reconstruction of Globe and Phoenix Primary School, which was decommissioned due to illegal mining activities, is now 78% complete. The new site toured today by stakeholders, is on track for completion by September 2025 and will accommodate 785 learners. Currently, the project consists of an administration block, ablution facilities, and seven double-classroom blocks with trusses installed. An additional five double-classroom blocks have reached the roofing stage. All building plans have been approved, and site clearing is at an advanced stage.”
Let’s remember how we got here: the collapse wasn’t a natural disaster—it was a man-made horror caused by unregulated, greedy digging beneath the school, with illegal miners tunnelling like termites under a vital piece of public infrastructure. This wasn’t an isolated incident either; it was the culmination of years of artisanal miners chasing ore right into the heart of Kwekwe, ignoring laws and endangering lives.
While the reconstruction is commendable, it’s impossible to talk about rebuilding without asking whether Zimbabwe is finally serious about protecting schools, hospitals, and other community assets from the dangers of illegal mining. What is stopping local authorities from clearing out the syndicates who continue to operate dangerously close to homes and learning institutions? And who will hold accountable those who allowed mining activity so near a school in the first place?
Yes, the school’s rebirth offers a symbol of hope, but if we don’t tackle the root causes of illegal mining head-on, Globe and Phoenix won’t be the last tragedy we rebuild from. We need enforcement, we need community education, and we need policies that don’t just punish offenders after disaster strikes, but prevent these disasters entirely.
While walls can be rebuilt, the trauma inflicted on those children the nightmares, the fear of floors crumbling beneath their feet—won’t vanish so easily
