By Andy Mambo
Harare- The Young Miners For Economic Development (YMED) is urging young miners across Masvingo, including Renco and surrounding mining areas, to exercise extreme caution and suspend mining activities whenever severe weather makes working conditions unsafe.
The warning follows the severe hailstorm experienced on Monday, 5 October 2026, amid continued rainfall in parts of the province.
As YMED, we are concerned about the increased risks that heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, hail and flooding can pose to mining operations. Open pits, underground workings, shafts, riverbed operations and access roads can become particularly dangerous when water levels rise or ground conditions deteriorate.
We are therefore calling on all young miners to put their safety and the safety of their colleagues ahead of production.
Young miners are urged to:
– Stop mining activities when heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, flooding or other severe weather conditions make the working area unsafe.
– Immediately evacuate open pits, shafts and tunnels where water is rising, ground conditions are deteriorating or there are signs of instability.
– Never enter flooded, abandoned or poorly supported underground workings.
– Keep away from flooded rivers, streams, riverbanks and other low-lying areas where water levels and ground conditions can change rapidly.
– Inspect mine walls, benches, shafts, access roads and surrounding ground for cracks, subsidence, erosion, mudslides and loose material before resuming operations.
– Secure electrical equipment, generators, pumps, fuel and other hazardous materials, and avoid handling electrical cables or connections exposed to water.
– Ensure explosives, chemicals and fuel are secured and handled in accordance with applicable safety requirements and by authorised personnel.
– Work in teams, maintain communication with colleagues and ensure emergency contacts are readily available.
We are also calling on mine owners, operators and contractors not to pressure workers to continue mining when conditions are unsafe. The responsibility for creating safe working conditions must be shared across the mining sector.
“As YMED, we believe that no mineral is worth a life. We would rather lose a day of production than lose a young miner. We are therefore appealing to our members and all young miners in Masvingo to stop, assess the conditions around them and only resume work when it is safe to do so,” said YMED President Nyasha Magadhi.
We further encourage miners and mining communities to remain alert to official weather and emergency information from the Meteorological Services Department, the Environmental Management Agency, the Civil Protection Unit, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and local authorities.
Any accident, missing person, flooding incident, shaft collapse or other mining emergency should be reported immediately to the relevant emergency authorities and local leadership.
As YMED, we remain committed to promoting a safer and more responsible mining sector in which young Zimbabweans can participate meaningfully without putting their lives at unnecessary risk.
