‘State of Play in Artisanal, Small-Scale and Large-Scale Mining Areas’ 8 April 2020

As of the 8^th of April 2020, Zimbabwe tested 371 people, 11 tested positive while three deaths were recorded. [In] Gwanda, three days after the declaration of the National Lockdown on 30 March 2020, many people stayed indoors, observed the social distancing dictates and in some cases wore masks and washed hands, although many people lacked the financial resources to buy the protective equipment or did not have access to suppliers. In some cases, police ordered closure of ASM mine sites...in Bubi for defying the lockdown. In some parts of Shurugwi District the army was reported to have been involved in enforcing measures. However, police and military personnel were observed in mining communities to be enforcing...without putting on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) themselves, thereby [potentially] exposing themselves and...[the public].

ZIMPLATS is a platinum metals group (PMG) mining company owned by IMPLATS operating in Mhondoro-Ngezi community. It successfully applied for exemption to continue mining operations during the Lockdown. In a statement the company indicated that its primary focus is protecting lives and livelihoods of its employees, contractors, service providers and communities, sustaining business financial viability and contributing to well-being of the country. ZIMPLATS said it will take heightened risk mitigation measures to protect the health of workers through COVID-19 detection, awareness, workplace hygiene, medical surveillance and supplies, provision of PPE, isolation and treatment of suspected and confirmed cases. Community monitors in Mhondoro indicated that ZIMPLATS has lived up to its promise by ensuring provision of PPE to all workers, social distancing in company business (bus now ferrying 30 instead of 60 workers at a time), testing temperature, washing hands with sanitisers and raising at Turf Village, although community monitors want the company to do more for the community at large.