BY OBERT SIAMILANDU
THE Zimbabwe Miners Federation says it is taking steps to ensure that the small-scale and artisanal mining sector’s positive contribution to the country’s economy is not overshadowed by avoidable accidents iin mineshafts.
ZMF Mashonaland West chairperson Timothy Chizuzu yesterday said his organisation was undertaking campaigns as a form of awareness to ensure that miners are aware of their safety, dangers of illegal mining as well as sustainable mining.
“We as ZMF, especially in Mashonaland West province, have started moving around meeting miners and our main objective is to see if they are compliant and if they are mining in a sustainable way, like putting up shafts which are timbered to prevent the shafts from collapsing,” he said.
Chizuzu said they were very happy that most of the small-scale miners were adhering to safety measures being prescribed by the responsible authorities.
“They should start taking measures to protect their workers and mines from heavy rains which are being expected in the country this year. We urge them to engage safety officers who can come on consultative basis and assist them on the best way to manage their claims,” he said.
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