ZINIRE determined to extend Rock Engineering solutions to ASM
As part of its strategy to eliminate disaster in the mining industry in Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe National Institute of Rock Engineering (ZINIRE) is planning to take rock Engineering solutions to the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) sector.
Rudairo Mapuranga
Zimbabwe has been plagued with mine disasters over the last few months, often resulting in the death of scores of miners. Most of the mine accidents have occurred at illegally and legally run disused mines (by artisanal miners) with a few happening at legally operating small-scale mines.
Speaking to Mining Zimbabwe on the sidelines of the ZINIRE Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Bulawayo on Saturday, the institute’s newly appointed President Regious Tirivabaya said his organization was going to lead in terms of awareness and training in rock engineering solutions to avoid disaster.
“There is also a growing sector of small-scale miners which we should not forget most so because we have seen a lot of accidents related to fall of ground in this sector. Our thrust there will be to lead in terms of awareness and training on proper mining methods to avoid these fatal accidents that we have seen over the years,” Tirivabaya said.
Speaking at the event ZINIRE Vice President said Rock Engineers and service providers should come up with solutions for the small-scale industry to avoid disaster and accidents.
“The ASM has come with its challenges particularly fall of ground. I implore this fraternity to broaden its scope to assist the industry. Let us work together to fully integrate rock engineering in the whole mining interests,” Mandingaisa said.
The Zimbabwe School of Mines (ZSM) which is a member of ZINIRE represented by Mrs Ndiweni said it has been offering solutions and training for the ASM and was determined to see other institutes such as ZINIRE taking part at full scale.
“We have seen that technical institutions are mostly focusing on rock engineering solutions on large-scale mining operations but as ZSM we are giving a holistic approach where we also research and overtraining on finding rock engineering solutions for the ASM,” Ndiweni said.
Zimbabwe National Institute of Rock Engineering held its AGM and Annual Symposium in Bulawayo on the first of July 2023.
This is ZINIRE’s annual event which brings all rock mechanics/engineering practitioners under one roof. The event brings together professionals and experts in the field of rock engineering to discuss and deliberate on various issues and advancements in the industry.
The AGM served as a platform for the ZINIRE members to discuss ongoing projects, share experiences, and present their achievements over the past year. It provided an opportunity for members to reflect on the challenges faced and collaborations achieved in the pursuit of promoting rock engineering in Zimbabwe.