Statement on the Mazowe mine shaft tragedy
STATEMENT BY THE ZIMBABWE COMMUNIST PARTY ON THE MAZOWE MINE SHAFT TRAGEGY
2nd October 2025
The Zimbabwe Communist Party (ZCP) extends its deepest condolences to the families and communities of the four young men – Alton Sibanda, Prince Gobvu, Kenneth Mhandire, and Tapiwa Meskano – who tragically lost their lives in the shaft collapse at Mamini, Umsasa Farm, in Mazowe. Their untimely deaths are a painful reminder of the risks that many artisanal and small-scale miners face daily as they seek livelihoods under harsh economic conditions. We mourn with the affected families and call for justice, accountability, and reforms to prevent further loss of life.
This tragedy once again exposes the failure of government and mine operators to uphold safety standards in the mining sector. Commissioner Nyathi’s call for inspections and safety precautions must not remain rhetoric – it must translate into enforceable regulations, regular monitoring, and strict accountability for those who put profits or expediency ahead of human life.
Furthermore, the Zimbabwean mining sector cannot continue to operate in an environment of laxity and short-term exploitation. Illegal mining, poorly regulated artisanal operations, and reckless excavation have not only cost lives but also caused severe damage to water tributaries, rivers, and ecosystems that sustain our communities. This disregard for environmental protection demonstrates a short-sighted approach by government, which prioritises immediate extraction while compromising the future of both people and the environment.
The ZCP insists that mining – as one of Zimbabwe’s most critical economic drivers – must be approached with care, accountability, and sustainability. National resources must be managed transparently and responsibly to benefit the people today while safeguarding land, water, and the environment for generations to come.
The government cannot continue to allow mining practices that endanger workers, devastate communities, and threaten the ecological balance of our nation.
We therefore call on the Government of Zimbabwe to:
- Enforce strict safety standards in both formal and artisanal mining operations.
- Regularise and monitor artisanal mining to prevent reckless and unsafe practices.
- Strengthen environmental protection measures, ensuring that rivers, forests, and ecosystems are shielded from destructive mining activities.
- Develop a sustainable national mining policy that places people, the environment, and future generations at the centre of economic planning. The lives lost in Mazowe must not be in vain. They must serve as a wake-up call for urgent, principled action. Zimbabwe cannot mortgage its future by allowing negligence, expediency, and carelessness in one of its most important sectors.
Issued by the Central Committee of the Zimbabwe Communist Party
