Kwekwe – A grim spectre hangs over the mining town of Kwekwe, as the deadly lung disease silicosis continues to claim lives, leaving a trail of grief and raising serious questions about workplace safety and the health of the nation’s workforce. Twelve souls have succumbed to the disease at Kwekwe General Hospital since the beginning of the year, with several more battling for their lives, a stark reminder of the silent killer lurking in the dust of the mines.
The disease, caused by the inhalation of silica dust, primarily affects workers in industries such as mining and construction. Silicosis, a slow and insidious killer, gradually damages the lungs, leading to severe respiratory problems and leaving victims vulnerable to other diseases like tuberculosis. The recent surge in cases in Kwekwe has sent ripples of alarm through the local community, highlighting the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to protecting workers from this occupational hazard.
“Since January, we have had 12 patients who were admitted, and all of them have since passed on,” revealed Dr Bruce Mhondiwa, the Acting Medical Superintendent of Kwekwe General Hospital. “As we speak, we have about three who are admitted at our institution.”
The grim statistics paint a stark picture of the toll that silicosis is taking on the community. Kwekwe, a town deeply intertwined with mining, has borne the brunt of the disease, with over 25 deaths attributed to silicosis last year alone. The latest figures, however, signal a worsening situation, prompting a renewed focus on prevention and early detection.
Dr Mhondiwa expressed deep concern about the underreporting of cases, with many individuals being misdiagnosed with tuberculosis. “Silicosis is closely linked to tuberculosis,” he explained. “That is the major worry we have because most people are failing to diagnose the disease and confusing it with tuberculosis, which is curable.”
“At the end of the day, we end up having people being diagnosed late, and some even dying from the disease because they are not aware of the symptoms,” he added, highlighting the urgent need for increased awareness and improved diagnostic capabilities.
The hospital, in a bid to combat the growing threat, has launched awareness campaigns and is engaging with mine owners to promote preventative measures. “We are offering mobile clinic services to mining hotspots in Kwekwe, and it’s quite a good move because we are making significant strides to try and defeat the disease at an early stage,” said Dr Mhondiwa. “We are also encouraging mining companies to conduct regular medical check-ups so that the disease is detected early.”
The hospital’s efforts are further bolstered by the generous donation of oxygen from a local company, a lifeline for patients struggling to breathe. “We have been getting oxygen free of charge from a certain company, and we are grateful for that,” said Dr Mhondiwa. “As an institution, we have since upped our game in terms of preparation for the disease in Kwekwe, which is largely a mining community.”
The silicosis crisis in Kwekwe has brought into sharp focus the need for stricter health policies within mining companies to minimise occupational deaths. The recent National Social Security Authority (Nssa) Engineers Workshop, which focused on addressing occupational hazards and ensuring safety in the workplace, revealed that an estimated 4,000 workers sustain injuries or fall ill at work in Zimbabwe annually due to occupational hazards and other work-related incidents.
“There is a lot of production, which takes place in private entities like furniture manufacturing. They should benefit from your professionalism as engineers, and also in line with living no one and no place behind, all sectors should benefit from the OSH division of Nssa,” said Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister July Moyo, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive approach to occupational safety and health (OSH) across all sectors.
Nssa Acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr Charles Shava, highlighted the positive impact of the agency’s Department of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) interventions, which have resulted in a significant drop in the lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR). “We are glad that our lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR), which is the number of lost time injuries occurring in a workplace per a certain period, has dropped from about six people to about 1,5,” he said. “Our ultimate target is less than one, which means that we don’t want any injuries at all. We are going to try to improve those numbers because ultimately, the worker is the most important component at any workplace.”
Despite these efforts, concerns remain about companies resisting the implementation of safety measures and obstructing Nssa inspectors. Engineer Absalom Zengeya, Nssa’s Principal Inspector of Factories, revealed that some companies have been forced to change their operations in furnaces deemed dangerous to employees.
“There are many instances where we had to forcibly enter company premises accompanied by armed police,” said Eng Zengeya. “Every company must be visited by Nssa inspectors, and it is our mandate to inspect every company.”
Eng Zengeya lamented the lack of compliance with the country’s OSH legislative provisions, leading to numerous accidents and injuries. “Most of the cases in industries deal with negligence,” he said. “When a person fails to exercise the care required in the circumstances, or where he should foresee a prohibited result or circumstance and guard against it, but fails to do so, it is failure to exercise due care and usually results in accidents.”
The silicosis crisis has also sparked a wave of concern among organisations dedicated to protecting the rights and welfare of miners. Payne Kupfuwa, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Young Miners Foundation (YMF), expressed deep concern over the increasing number of silicosis deaths.
“As Young Miners Foundation (YMF), we are greatly concerned by the surge of silicosis and other associated diseases fatalities as most of these victims are young people who are the target group of programming,” said Mr Kupfuwa. “In response to such unfortunate incidents, our YMF Safety health and environmental affairs unit has partnered with the International Health and Nursing Academy (IHNA) and Lenrage OSHE Consultancy to do free OHS training courses starting on the 5th-7th of August in Bulawayo.”
