Union calls for stronger safety measures on Kamandama disaster anniversary 

BULAWAYO, June 8 (NewsDay Live) — The Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDAMWU) has called for tougher mine safety standards, stronger worker protections and greater industry accountability as the country marked the 54th anniversary of the Kamandama Mine Disaster. 

The union said the June 6, 1972 tragedy at the Kamandama Shaft of Hwange Colliery, where a methane gas explosion killed 427 miners underground, remains a stark reminder of the need to prioritise safety in the mining sector. 

ZDAMWU general secretary Justice Chinhema described the disaster as the worst mining accident in Zimbabwe’s history and urged stakeholders to honour the victims by preventing similar tragedies. 

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