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Gabrielle Gede Manicaland Correspondent
THE Ministry of Mines and Mining Development is conducting awareness campaigns in Manicaland with the aim of educating artisanal miners on the technical aspects of mining to reduce accidents that have claimed the lives of numerous miners in the past.

The programme is mainly targeting miners in Penhalonga and Odzi.

Provincial mining director Mr Omen Dube said the ministry had realised that most mine managers were  not familiar with the technical aspects of running and monitoring mining operations.

“We are not only focusing on the miners themselves but we are also engaging mine managers to educate them on the necessary procedures. The reason why miners face problems is because most of them are being monitored by the unskilled managers who does not have adequate knowledge on how to work safely in the mines,” he said.

He said they are setting up a team which would go around mining areas talking to the managers and the miners.

“They will be taught procedures of conducting proper mining, what is required and what is not to be done. Participants will be given certificates,” he said.

Mr Dube said Government had realised that instead of penalising artisanal miners, it was more beneficial to engage them and educate them so that they could increase production with minimum injuries and deaths.

“These people lack knowledge, so fining them before educating them would be unfair. Thus, in the meantime, we will train them on good mining techniques before introducing the legal measures,” he said.