The Mine Ventilation Society of Zimbabwe (MVSZ) has challenged mining professionals to extend practical ventilation and dust-control solutions to artisanal and small-scale miners amid growing concern over silicosis cases in mining communities, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Ryan Chigoche
The call was made by MVSZ President Dr Tonderai Chikande at the society’s conference in Bulawayo, where he urged mine managers, ventilation practitioners, suppliers and regulators to help smaller mining operations strengthen occupational health and safety measures.
The urgency of the issue is highlighted by figures from Kwekwe General Hospital, which reportedly recorded 161 silicosis cases between January and August 2026, compared with six in 2012.
The figures underline the need to strengthen efforts to prevent exposure to silica dust, particularly in a mining sector where artisanal and small-scale miners account for almost 70% of gold production.
Silicosis is an incurable but preventable lung disease caused by inhaling respirable crystalline silica dust released when rock is drilled, crushed or processed. Continued exposure damages the lungs and can lead to severe disability and death.
For smaller mining operations, preventing exposure requires more than awareness. Appropriate ventilation, dust-suppression measures, exposure monitoring and training can help reduce the risks, but access to equipment and technical expertise remains a challenge for many operators.
Chikande warned that preventable occupational illness should not be accepted as an inevitable consequence of mining, calling for greater responsibility across the industry to protect workers.
“Reports from mining communities, including Kwekwe, continue to highlight the serious consequences of dust-related respiratory disease. As mining and ventilation professionals, we cannot accept preventable occupational illness as an inevitable consequence of mining.
“Every case of silicosis signals a gap in awareness, engineering controls, monitoring or intervention. Above all, it represents a failure to adequately protect the people upon whom our industry depends,” Chikande said.
Going forward, he challenged mining professionals to extend their expertise beyond established operations and help artisanal and small-scale miners adopt practical measures to control dust exposure.
“Today, I challenge every mine manager, ventilation practitioner, supplier, regulator and academic institution represented here. Let us take our expertise beyond the boundaries of our own operations… If innovation is to drive sustainable mining growth, it must be inclusive,” he said.
As part of the solution, Chikande called for practical ventilation systems, affordable dust-control technologies, basic exposure-monitoring programmes and education on silica hazards to help artisanal and small-scale miners reduce dust exposure and improve working conditions.
His call reflects the focus of the conference, held under the theme “Innovation in Mine Ventilation for Sustainable Mining Growth”, where practitioners are exploring technologies and practical approaches to strengthening ventilation and addressing occupational health risks across the mining industry.
The discussions come at an important time for artisanal and small-scale mining, where affordable technologies and technical support could help operators reduce dust exposure, improve working conditions and ultimately increase production.
