A LOCAL pressure group has joined calls being made by mine workers unions for government to declare June 6 a national day to commemorate the 1972 Kamandama Mine disaster.
The mine disaster on June 6, 1972 claimed the lives of 427 mine workers, making it Zimbabwe’s deadliest mining accident.
In a statement, the Centre for Natural Resource Governance, National Mine Workers Union of Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union bemoaned frequent mining accidents being experienced in Zimbabwe as 237 deaths were recorded last year.
According to the Chamber of Mines’ 2023 survey, a staggering 80% of these fatalities occurred in underground mining sites.
“By designating a national day/public holiday, we can be able to honour the contributions and sacrifices of those affected by the Kamandama Mine disaster, including surviving spouses and families and encourage mining companies, government, regulators and individuals to take action in support of occupational health and safety in the mining industry,” the statement said.
“We can be able to demonstrate our country’s commitment to the welfare of workers by mobilising resources to improve safety standards in the mining sector.
“We believe that declaring a national day for Kamandama would be a powerful step towards creating a more just, equitable and compassionate society. We urge the government to act and make this important designation a reality.”
The organisations also said investigations had revealed that neglect of critical equipment maintenance, failure to conduct thorough structural integrity inspections and human error contributed to these accidents.
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They said the mining sector, particularly artisanal and small-scale gold mining, faced significant occupational health and safety challenges.
The organisations further argued that recognising the tragedy could help to raise awareness on the deplorable working conditions, unfair labour practices and poor mining practices that continue to put workers at risk.
