64 artisanal miners die in Q1 2026

Sixty-four artisanal and small-scale miners died in Zimbabwe during the first quarter of 2026, marking a 6 percent increase compared to the same period last year, as ground collapses continued to dominate mining-related fatalities.

The figures were revealed by Mines and Mining Development Minister Dr Polite Kambamura during a workshop for mining inspectors, highlighting persistent safety challenges in a sector central to Zimbabwe's mineral-driven economy.

According to the data, ground collapses accounted for 54 percent of all deaths, claiming 35 lives. Improper use of explosives and gas-related incidents caused 25 percent of fatalities, while 15 percent resulted from falls into abandoned or unprotected shafts. The remaining 6 percent were attributed to electrocution and equipment-related accidents.

Minister Kambamura said the sector's strong mineral performance, driven largely by gold and lithium production in 2025, should not distract from the human cost of unsafe mining practices.

"The figures that must command our attention this morning are not the figures of production. They are the figures of loss," he said.

He stressed that most of the fatalities were preventable and should not be viewed as unavoidable accidents.

"These deaths are, in the overwhelming majority, preventable. They are not acts of God. They are the predictable consequence of unsafe practice, and where there is unsafe practice, there must be a vigilant inspector," the Minister said.

Kambamura outlined government interventions aimed at reducing fatalities, including a training programme that has already reached more than 500 artisanal miners with basic safety and environmental management skills.

"Where you find ignorance, teach," he said.

At the same time, he instructed mining inspectors to enforce compliance more strictly, including the use of prohibition orders against illegal operations such as riverbed mining, illegal excavation beneath infrastructure, and unlicensed mining activity.

He said inspectors must not hesitate to apply provisions of the law where necessary to prevent further loss of life.

The Minister urged regulators to treat the death toll as a call to urgent action rather than a statistical update, warning that continued losses reflect systemic weaknesses in enforcement and safety culture within the sector.

"Behind each of those numbers is a family broken, a community grieving, and a question we are duty-bound to answer: could it have been prevented?" he said.

Artisanal and small-scale mining remains a key livelihood source for thousands of Zimbabweans, but recurring fatalities continue to raise concerns over regulation, enforcement capacity and access to safe mining practices.