Tinotenda Hove – The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development has urged miners across Zimbabwe to exercise extreme caution as the rainy season heightens life-threatening risks in mining areas—a warning that comes amid recurring seasonal tragedies.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, Minister Winston Chitando acknowledged that the rains bring “grave dangers and risks that are a threat to lives,” including flooding, drowning, collapsing ground and potential slimes dam failures. The Ministry noted that lives have already been lost this season, raising concerns about whether the government’s response remains reactive instead of preventative.

The Ministry advised miners—large-, medium- and small-scale—to take the following precautions:

• Avoid mining along waterways where upstream rains can trigger sudden flooding.
• Refrain from digging or blasting in old mine workings due to unstable ground.
• Stop pillar robbing underground “at all costs.”
• Avoid sinking shafts in low-lying areas prone to rapid water inflow.
• Divert free-flowing water away from mine shafts.
• Conduct thorough risk assessments before entering underground workings, and cease operations completely if danger is detected.

Despite these warnings, mining unions and safety advocates argue that the measures, although necessary, highlight a pattern in which the government responds after disasters occur rather than investing early in enforcement, training and equipment for vulnerable small-scale miners.

The Ministry urged miners to cooperate fully with authorities to ensure safe operations, stressing that “human life is by far worth more than any mineral.” However, without stronger systemic safety measures, many fear the same message will return each rainy season—alongside preventable loss of life.