Branton Matondo
Chinese Mines across Zimbabwe have been labeled as death traps due to the number of fatalities that are recorded at the mines across the country.
This came out during the Hwange Kamandama Disaster commemorations held in Manicaland recently where unions and other stakeholders in the mining sector said there was need for action to address the challenge.
The Chinese control a number of gold, diamond, lithium extraction in Zimbabwe as well as other minerals.
Following shocking deaths and freaky accident rates at Chinese lithium and gold mines across Zimbabwe, the latest being the death of two miners at Arcadia Mine, a Chinese owned lithium located in the depths of Goromonzi Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) revealed shocking statistics that have been termed by the umbrella body as ‘depressing and incorrect’.
“Our efforts as trade unions to contain workplace accidents are being frustrated by capital particularly employers in mining and metal fabrication industries where the Chinese are dominating. We are seized with depressing statistics of workplace accidents. The period from January to April 2023 have 1454 recorded serious injuries and 24 fatalities,” read a statement by ZCTU.
Further inquiry by this publication indicates that 4800 accidents and 75 fatalities were booked in the year 2022 while the previous year recorded 5641 accidents and 42 fatalities.
Reports from reliable sources revealed that Chinese run mines subject workers to inadequate protective clothing. Some even go the extent of failing to supply PPE which is mandatory when operating in an extractive industry as stipulated by Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)
“However, we are aware that these are not the actual statistics, a lot of accidents go unreported owing to carefree attitude of the foreign crop of employers we are battling with. These trends are worrisome,” added the statement.
TellZim News got in touch with a former worker at AN-JIN mine located in Marange who spoke on condition of anonymity who the Chinese were only concerned by profit ahead of worker’s welfare.
“Chinese are profit driven; they will do anything to extract minerals even if it means ignoring the proper safety standards. At times they ignore our labor law and SHE regulations. All they care about is money,” said the worker
Center for Research Development (CRD) Director James Mupfumi said Chinese mining companies like AN-JIN were enemies of the environment, livestock and lives of locals in Manicaland.
“All villages where AN-JIN operated in Marange are now malaria infested because no rehabilitation that took place. People and livestock have died from drowning in unprotected slime Damiani open pits. AN-JIN has not been involved in government efforts to combat malaria in Marange,” said Mupfumi.
National Mine Workers of Zimbabwe (NMWZ) Legal Officer Kevin Mawoyo said that disaster preparedness in mines has nothing to admire.
“When it comes to disaster preparedness in our mines leaves a lot to be desired given the lack of commitment in the issues of occupational health and safety. Chinese are more concerned with profit making than healthy and safety or well-being of employees,”
“The issue of offering protective clothing is not well articulated by foreign mine owners who are dominating the sector. The rate at which accidents are taking place is alarming as result of non-compliance with safety standards,” said Mawoyo
Initiations between unions and relevant stakeholder groups have exposed the safety shenanigans marauding Chinese own mines of late. Chief among the cases is the bipartite effort between National Social Security Authority (NSSA) and unions in exposing Sunny Yi FENG, Manhidze Steel Plant and Bikita Minerals.
