COVID-19: Artisanal Miners Dice With Death

Artisanal mining has become a source of income for panners at a time when there are high levels of unemployment in Zimbabwe. Image by Julien Harneis | Flickr

by Lizwe Sebatha

The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened existing challenges related to unemployment and poverty in Matabeleland South. With hundreds of people flocking to mine gold without a license, exposure to coronavirus is a major concern.

MATOBO, September 10, 2020. (The Citizen Bulletin) — OVERCROWDING in sleeping tents, a dozen men sharing a meal and discarded face masks— a mirror of the lives of artisanal gold miners amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hundreds of miners, commonly referred to as Omakorokoza, have found their way to Zamanyoni in Matobo district, Matabeleland South, clearing bush and digging up land in search of the precious metal.

Danisa Ndlovu, an artisanal gold miner from Maphisa is among the hundreds who have joined the Zamanyoni gold rush following the recent discovery of gold deposits in the area. Zamanyoni is approximately 40-50 kilometres from Maphisa business centre.

The need to make fast money in the face of high unemployment rates has seen gold panners throw caution to the wind despite a global health pandemic.

“I cannot be left behind as serious money is to be made whenever there is a gold rush.”
Danisa Ndlovu, artisanal gold miner

A gram of gold sells for 850 rands.

Artisanal mining is not just a source of income for the panners but a lucrative venture that has seen many improve their lives.

Health experts emphasize social distancing, constant washing of hands and wearing of face masks as a COVID-19 preventive measure.

To date, 753 people in the province have tested positive to the virus, seven have succumbed to the virus.

Artisanal miners are largely unregistered and unregulated. Estimates of people mining without licenses vary and many remain unaccounted for.

“You have to be an artisanal gold miner to understand that some of these COVID-19 regulations do not apply when we are in the bushes where only the brave are assured of rich pickings.”
Danisa Ndlovu adds

Mncedisi Tshabalala, from Maphisa also argues that following health regulations is close to impossible as there is no time to sanitise hands as gold panners share picks and shovels digging up the land for potential gold.

They also must share meals while they cramp in tents when they sleep to minimise the living expenses in the bush.

“It’s quite busy here, civil servants including teachers and nurses from the local area also trying their luck with some selling food stuffs, clothing and other wares,” Tshabalala says.

“Those who cannot dig end-up sponsoring miners with food and other necessities. Mining is the only vibrant industry nowadays and everyone is trying his or her luck.”

According to the gold panners, most of whom do not have permits and are unlicensed; raids against their operations by the police have been less frequent in recent weeks during the lockdown period.

Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Philisani Ndebele confirms a reduction of the raids and says illegal panning activities are difficult to eradicate.

“It’s cat and mouse with the gold panners,” Ndebele told this publication adding, “but recently we have not had any notable arrests.”

A Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) official who is also a small scale gold panner Ndodana Moyo bemoaned the lack COVID-19 specific programmes to ensure compliance to regulations aimed at fighting the disease.

“We have not seen any awareness programmes, at least here in Maphisa, targeting artisanal gold panners,” Moyo, who is also from Maphisa, says.

“I would not want to say its ignorance on the part of my colleagues but it is what it is in the bushes where COVID-19 regulations do not apply as far as I have seen.”

Health and Child Care ministry public relations officer Donald Mujiri did not respond to questions sent to him by this publication.

Recently, the Zimbabwe Environmental Lawyers Association (Zela) urged the government to ring-fence gold royalties to fund personal protective clothing and hand sanitisers among others in the face of COVID-19.

However, that has not been the case, “We believe that those responsible should have COVID-19 specific programs for the sector to ensure provision of sanitizers and the like,” Moyo says.

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