Harare –The Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Mineral Workers Union (ZDAMWU) has raised alarm over widespread human rights violations in the mining sector, warning that the extractive industry’s economic importance should not overshadow the dignity and rights of workers and communities.
Speaking at a Human Rights Due Diligence Workshop in Harare this week, ZDAMWU General Secretary Justice Chinhema applauded mining as the “bloodline of the country’s economy,” but condemned abuses ranging from unsafe working conditions to gender-based violence.
“Mine workers and mining communities face risks related to working conditions and labour rights. Inadequate wages, unsafe working conditions, rampant casualisation of labour, sexual harassment and other forms of gender-based violence are the order of the day, creating a hostile working environment,” Chinhema said.
He stressed that while mining continues to attract investment and is profiled as Zimbabwe’s economic enabler, it “must never come at the expense of human dignity.” Chinhema urged unions, workers’ representatives and mining companies to embrace human rights due diligence (HRDD) and ensure that extraction is carried out ethically, sustainably and with respect for both communities and the environment.
“As a union we strongly believe that all investments that come into the country should not be given a special status that goes against labour rights,” he added.
Business and human rights lawyer, Zororai Nkomo, echoed the union’s concerns, citing a rise in labour-related cases linked to mining companies.
“In Zimbabwe we are seeing a problem in the extractive industry as we have seen an upsurge in human rights violations by mining companies. Currently about 40% of human rights violations recorded by human rights organisations are being perpetrated by businesses, and the mining sector is now becoming a problem,” Nkomo said.
He urged authorities to act decisively, warning that both workers and mining communities — often poor and vulnerable — are being subjected to undignified treatment.
The calls come as Zimbabwe intensifies efforts to expand mining output under its “US$12 billion mining economy” vision, with critics arguing that the rush for investment is sidelining labour rights and ethical standards.
