ZIMSHEC pushes for rehabilitation of mining areas

TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO 

The Zimbabwe Mining Safety Health and Environmental council (ZIMSHEC) has urged artisanal and small scale miners to plant trees as part of efforts to rehabilitate degraded areas.

Addressing miners in Bulawayo, ZIMSHEC programmes manager, Kundai Chikonzo, said planting of trees should be a culture amongst the miners.

“Tree planting should be a continuous activity for artisanal miners. We need these trees. They are actually an input towards timbering our shafts for safety. 

“So we cannot run away from the fact that we use them. So now as ZIMSHEC, we are encouraging all miners out there to plant trees,” she said.  

She said ZIMSHEC has also engaged community leaders to encourage communities to join in tree planting.

“We are also doing engagements with chiefs in the communities. We believe that solutions come from within the community where we actually carry out these mining activities,” said Chikonzo.

Philemon Moukele, the ZIMSHEC deputy executive director said: “We started engaging small scale miners so that they work hand in hand with the local leadership and chiefs and to make it a culture that each and every year they plant trees.”

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 provinces.

ZIMSHEC recently partnered with the Zimbabwe School of Mines and Midlands State University to equip small scale miners with health and safety skills in a bid to reduce accidents.