TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO
The Zimbabwe Safety Health and Environmental Council (ZIMSHEC) has partnered with the Zimbabwe School of Mines (ZSM) and Midlands State University (MSU) to equip small scale miners with health and safety skills in a bid to reduce accidents.
ZIMSHEC is an organisation founded by small-scale and artisanal miners in Zimbabwe to promote occupational health and safety, environmentally friendly and sustainable mining practices.
It operates in five provinces namely Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands, Masvingo and Manicaland.
ZIMSHEC deputy executive director, Philemon Moukele, said 36 miners have been trained in health and safety skills.
“We have already started training with ZSM where we are training first aid and the rescue teams so that the miners can assist one another when we have accidents in our mining areas,” Moukele said.
He said the sector has been experiencing many accidents around the country.
Moukele said the next batch of miners will start training next month.
In May, seven miners from Colleen Bawn, Gwanda district in Matabeleland South Province died after hoisting ropes to a skip bringing them up the shaft from underground snapped, plunging them back on a free-fall of about 200 metres.
