Kamandama Disaster: Whither The Welfare Of Widows?

The surviving widows and children gather together with mining players at the mass graves of Kamandama disaster. Image by The Citizen Bulletin

BY LETHOKUHLE NKOMO | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | JUN 25, 2021

Forty-nine years after the country's worst mine disaster to date, the Hwange community is unsatisfied with the support rendered to surviving spouses and children.

HWANGE (The Citizen Bulletin) — The Wankie coal mine disaster which took place on the  6th of June, 1972 often brings sad memories to the people of Hwange, the underground explosions which occurred at the then Wankie No.2 Colliery mine led to 427 fatalities. It remains the deadliest mine accident to date in the history of the country.

Yearly every June 6, in remembrance of the explosion which shook Hwange and Zimbabwe, at exactly 10:25 am, a minute of silence is observed to remember the 427 miners who perished at the then underground Kamandama mine.

When the accident happened, spouses of the trapped miners thronged in desperation to the collapsed mine hoping for the miracle of seeing their loved ones coming out of the burning mine alive.

“Memories are still fresh; I remember I spent a week coming to Kamandama hoping that I would see my husband who was also trapped in the mine.”
Shantani Nyathi (68), one of the widows

She was 19 years old, a three months pregnant newlywed. She fondly calls her husband, Timmy.

“Ït was one of the most difficult moments of my life. We had plans but all the dreams were shattered in the morning of 6th of June 1972.”

After the accident, tradition forced her to get married to her late husband's brother; afterwards they relocated to the rural areas.

Nyathi is among the surviving widows of the Kamandama disaster who are finding life tough since the disaster occurred. Most widows had to relocate while some are still stuck in Hwange town as they struggle to survive in the harsh economic environment of the mining town.

Although the Hwange Colliery Company promised to take care of the widows and their children, most miners left behind pregnant widows and very young children.

Before the COVID-19 global pandemic, hundreds of people from all walks of life gathered at Number 2 Kamandama Memorial Site for a memorial service. The surviving widows and children gathered together with mining players and government officials at the mass grave to pay their respects.

Hwange residents recommend the 6th of June to be a national public holiday. Image by The Citizen Bulletin

Although this year the commemorations were not publicly held, Hwange residents have expressed their concern over the importance of the day. The Greater Hwange Residents Trust coordinator, Fidelis Chima says June 6, is an important day annually for the community of Hwange. He has however raised concerns over the welfare of the Kamandama Widows.

“These widows are only recognised on the 6th of June, after the commemorations, they are forgotten. As residents we are worried of such kind of symbolic appreciation of the day, it shows that HCCL does not reflect on the day.”
Fidelis Chima, Greater Hwange Residents Trust coordinator

“It's been 49 years since the disaster occurred, but the remaining widows are not benefiting much from the company. We appreciated the Kamandama Trust Fund formed for the widows by the Hwange Colliery Company but there is not much being done on the Trust Fund,” says Chima.

Chima believes it would be ideal for the Trust Fund to involve the widows and their children allowing them to have a say on what they want and how the fund should be administered.

Chima recommends that 6 June should be a national public holiday where the nation at large reflects on the safety measures in mining entities.

Justice Chinhema the Secretary-General of Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDAMWU) has echoed similar sentiments on the welfare of the surviving spouses and children.

“Very few have their children engaged in the mine; most who were with the mine have lost employment again. There is a need to make sure these families are compensated. We suggest monthly salary equivalent to the grade the deceased was in until a supposed age of retirement,” he says.

Chinhema says the company should also provide accommodation for these widows because some of the widows are living almost as destitutes.

“As ZDAMWU we are saying miners must have a Trust fund that caters for past, current and future disasters and all mining companies must be seen contributing towards that fund every month so as to take care of victims of mine disasters or accidents,” he says.

Statistics from ZDAMWU show that mine disasters still occur in Zimbabwe and are becoming a cause for concern as families of victims of disasters often feel the brunt when they lose a breadwinner to a mine disaster.

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In 2020 alone, 10 workers lost their lives in big mines and a number of lives are lost in illegal mining activities daily.

Historical records establish that the Kamandama accident was caused by an underground methane dust explosion and despite several attempts to rescue mine workers, the fatality of the disaster was such that the mine shaft had to be sealed off and making it a mass grave.

It was initially believed that more than 470 miners were trapped, but the number was lowered after the owners found a number of people had not shown up for work.

Eight men were pulled alive from the mine after the initial explosions. Two new explosions on 7 June poured clouds of poisonous gas into the 4, 8 kilometres of tunnels, making further rescue attempts impossible.

The HCCL has in the past commemorated the day through a Kamandama golf tournament where golfers from the business community and other mining companies play to fundraise for the Kamandama Trust Fund.

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