Either you go down the pit, risking life from the hanging rock boulders or you go home for good! This is the General Manager’s instruction to the employees.

Anyone who dares to say “the working conditions are unsafe” is immediately fired. Its really sad that people are dying both company employees and the locals surrounding Murowa Diamonds in Zvishavane while top management seems not to care about this “genocide”.

On several occasions we have pointed it out that the operations at Murowa Diamonds pause a great danger to human life as their mining activities do not meet world standards governing the mining industry.

Recently, a dump truck operator lady was crushed to pieces by falling rocks while hauling ore from this mine of death. Employees are forced to work underneath hanging rock boulders.

The accident that claimed the dump truck lady operator must have been investigated by independent qualified mine inspectors. Its shocking that those who carried out the ” investigations ” pronounced that the working conditions are safe.

Where in this world do employees work underneath hanging rock boulders in an open cast mining operations? The GM is sacrificing human life by hiring his friends and relatives who lack the necessary minimum qualifications and experience.

Under normal circumstances the mine manager, mine engineer and safety manager must have been suspended pending thorough investigations. On the contrary fat khaki envelopes were exchanged at the expense of priceless human life. Employees who refuse to go and work underneath these hanging rock boulders are summarily dismissed by the GM himself.

The GM is ruthless and doesn’t care about employees’ safety all he wants is production. Murowa Diamonds is one company that doesn’t plough back to the local community. Ever since Rio Zim took over the mine nothing in terms of social investment has been done. Whoever is the really owner of the mine, is just looting the precious diamonds neglecting the local community.

Murowa Ward is one of the poorest and underdeveloped places in the world despite being home to the finest gems. There are no roads, no safe water, no electricity, school buildings are dilapidated and falling due to massive blasting. The environment is saturated with mine dust making breathing very difficult.

Local people are succumbing to dust induced lung diseases. This mine has brought suffering instead of joy to the locals. The GM is a shroud tribalist who employs only his tribesmen. Locals are hired on temporary basis to do menial dirty jobs.

There is urgent need for the government to investigate the operations of Murowa Diamonds vis-à-vis employee safety, employee recruitment, skills and qualifications audit, production audit, environmental protection and social responsibility.

It is important that those exploiting our natural resources plough back to the local community leading to visible development. Looting of our resources must never be tolerated no matter the circumstances.

The government must immediately address these concerns as precious life is being sacrificed by greedy “imperialist” who doesn’t even care about corporate social and economic responsibility. The mines and mining inspectorate and NSSA must be revamped and rid of corrupt elements.

Rest In Peace Dump Truck Operator

Murowa Community Zvishavane