SYDNEY MUBAIWA
SHURUGWI-A Load Haul Dump (HLD) operator at the Anglo American Platinum’s Unki Mine in Shurugwi, Felix Kore (44) tragically lost his life following a mine accident on Sunday, April 20, 2025.
Unki Mine confirmed the incident in a circular to its employees expressing deep sorrow over the loss of a valued team member.
“It is with great sadness that we notify you of the passing of our colleague, Mr Felix Kore (44) who tragically lost his life on Sunday the 20th of April, 2025 following a mine accident in the Southern Section,” reads part of the notice.
Kore joined Unki Mines on September 4, 2017 as a Lasher. He was later appointed Bolter assistant on December 1, 2018.
In August 2024, he was nominated to train as an LHD operator and completed the course on January 3, 2025.
Meanwhile , Environmentalist and Occupational Health and Safety Practitioner with NSSA, Enerst Mando, has called on miners to adopt and consistently implement strong health and safety practices at their mining sites to prevent accidents and save lives.
Speaking at a recent miners’ meeting in Zvishavane, Mando stressed the importance of having trained first aiders on-site and urged them to document all accidents and near misses. He said such records are crucial in developing effective and targeted safety policies.
“Recording every incident whether a major accident or a near miss gives us insight into recurring hazards and helps in designing policies that can save lives,” he said.
He also emphasized the importance of thoroughly investigating all workplace accidents, not just to establish what went wrong, but to prevent similar incidents in future.
He further encouraged the formation of mine-level safety committees that meet regularly to deliberate on safety issues and help shape policies that address specific risks faced by small-scale miners.
His remarks come amid increasing concerns about fatalities and injuries in Zimbabwe’s informal mining sector, where safety protocols are often overlooked due to lack of awareness or resources.
