Zimbabwe’s government is targeting the training and licensing of an estimated 600,000 artisanal miners through the Zimbabwe School of Mines (ZSM), as authorities seek to curb rising fatalities in a sector that has become increasingly important to the country’s mining industry, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Ryan Chigoche
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Dr Thomas Utete Wushe, unveiled the ambitious target during a familiarisation tour of the school in Bulawayo, arguing that formalising the country’s vast artisanal mining workforce is critical to improving safety standards and reducing preventable deaths.
The push comes against the backdrop of worsening safety statistics. Sixty-four artisanal and small-scale miners died during the first quarter of 2026, a six per cent increase from the same period last year, underscoring the dangers that continue to plague the sector despite its growing contribution to mineral production.
“My challenge to the school and the ministry is to ensure that those 600,000 miners should be qualified and licensed to do what they are doing,” Dr Utete Wushe said.
To illustrate the scale of what he believes can be achieved, Dr Utete Wushe pointed to Zimbabwe’s driver licensing system, which has successfully trained and certified more than three million motorists.
“What we have achieved on the roads shows that the country can do the same for artisanal miners,” he said.
For Dr Utete Wushe, the case for training extends beyond compliance and professionalisation. He argued that equipping miners with the necessary skills and qualifications could significantly reduce the accidents and fatalities that have become synonymous with the sector.
“We need to start moving fast, because the moment we get that done, you obviously reduce that life-losing propensity associated with small-scale artisanal mining. The primary objective is safety. We should not lose a life,” he said, adding that safety should become the defining principle of Zimbabwe’s mining industry.
Dr Utete Wushe then challenged the Zimbabwe School of Mines to strengthen research and innovation aimed at addressing the sector’s safety challenges. He said the institution’s innovation hub should play a leading role in developing practical solutions capable of reducing accidents and improving mining practices.
“My call now is to strengthen your research so that you can create the future. We want this school charting the future through innovation. The moment we start celebrating high productivity, we have a tear to shed because we have lost a life. Can we, as a school, try to start changing that narrative where the story is only about higher production without the cost of life?” he concluded.
Over the years, large-scale mining companies have shown that sustained training, stronger safety systems, and professional standards can dramatically reduce workplace accidents. Government now wants those lessons extended to the artisanal and small-scale mining sector, where fatalities remain stubbornly high.
The push to train and license 600,000 artisanal miners signals a shift towards formalisation as a safety strategy. For the Zimbabwe School of Mines, the task is immense: equipping a vast workforce with the skills to mine responsibly while leading the innovation needed to ensure that rising mineral production no longer comes at the cost of human lives.
