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. TellZimNews
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