Zimbabwe mining sector job carnage only a tip of the iceberg

Zimbabwe's mining sector recorded a staggering loss of 1,216 jobs in 2024  -  a 314% increase from the previous year  -  according to a recent report by the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe (CoMZ). The sharp rise in retrenchments has not come as a surprise to many observers who have closely followed the deteriorating economic landscape under President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration.

For years, Zimbabwe has been awash with government claims of economic progress. Yet, for the majority of workers, the reality has been bleak. Companies have steadily shed jobs while those still employed watch their earnings shrink due to rampant inflation and currency instability.

The CoMZ report revealed that by December 31, 2024, the mining industry employed 49,160 people, down from previous years, with 69 mines retrenching staff - up from 42 mines in 2023. The primary causes cited for the job cuts include persistent power outages, weak global commodity prices, and severe foreign currency shortages.

While global commodity price fluctuations are largely beyond Zimbabwe's control, the country's chronic electricity shortages are a failure squarely linked to government inaction. Since Mnangagwa assumed power in a 2017 military coup, his administration has promised to resolve the crippling power crisis, which sees miners sometimes endure blackouts lasting up to 18 hours a day.

Despite these promises, the government has done little to attract investment into the energy sector or to reform policies to encourage independent power producers to supplement the struggling Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa). The lack of progress on this front continues to cripple mining operations.

Further compounding the mining sector's woes are persistent currency challenges. Efforts to stabilize Zimbabwe's economy have repeatedly faltered amid official corruption and inconsistent policy enforcement, leaving workers vulnerable to the harsh realities of economic decline.

Ultimately, it is Zimbabwe's workers who bear the brunt of these systemic failures. Thousands are losing their livelihoods as the mining sector  -  once a critical engine of the economy  -  sheds jobs at an alarming rate.

At this juncture, many argue that the government must move beyond rhetoric and take decisive action to address the root causes of job losses, rather than continuing with empty propaganda. Without urgent reforms, Zimbabwe's mining industry and its workforce face an increasingly uncertain future.