The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development is moving to strengthen mine safety oversight, environmental compliance and technical capacity across the mining sector after a performance review revealed significant gaps in regulatory inspections despite progress in miner training and accident investigations.
Speaking during the Ministry’s Strategic Planning Workshop running from November 1 to 7, Chief Director Engineer C.S. Tahwa reported that inspectors conducted 3,000 mine safety and compliance inspections during the third quarter against a target of 5,400, highlighting operational challenges affecting the regulator’s ability to monitor mining activities nationwide.
The findings form part of the Ministry’s review process as it develops its 2026-2030 Strategic Plan and aligns its priorities with the objectives of National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and Vision 2030.
Despite the inspection shortfall, the Ministry recorded strong performance in occupational safety and environmental awareness programmes.
A total of 5,344 miners received training on mine safety, health and mercury abatement during the quarter, exceeding the target of 4,000 miners.
Officials said the training initiatives are aimed at improving safety standards and encouraging responsible mining practices, particularly within the artisanal and small-scale mining sector, which remains a key contributor to national gold production.
The review further showed that environmental compliance targets were met during the quarter, with compliance levels reaching 65 percent, while all recorded mining accidents were investigated.
However, Ministry officials acknowledged the need to strengthen enforcement mechanisms and enhance understanding of the factors contributing to workplace accidents across the sector.
Among the challenges identified were inadequate funding, delayed disbursement of budget allocations, limited transport resources and insufficient field logistics, all of which continue to constrain inspection and compliance activities.
To address these shortcomings, the Ministry is seeking closer coordination with Treasury to ensure timely resource allocation and improve the operational capacity of the mining inspectorate.
Officials also indicated that future evaluations of training programmes will focus not only on the number of miners reached, but also on measurable improvements in safety performance, environmental stewardship and mercury reduction at mining sites.
The Ministry said strengthening safety inspections, environmental monitoring and compliance systems remains essential as Zimbabwe pursues increased mineral production, beneficiation and sustainable mining growth under NDS2. 
