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No Victory, Three Years Post Hwange Colliery Protests

Women protestors demanding their husbands' outstanding salaries picketed HCCL offices.


BY CALVIN MANIKA | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | JUL 9, 2021

“We have been quiet out of fear. We don’t have any legal representation. The world thought we had won when we left the streets in 2018,” Thobekile Shoko.


HWANGE (The Citizen Bulletin) — On 29 January 2018, a group of women gathered at the Hwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL) offices in Hwange protesting unpaid salaries and poor working conditions which their husbands were periodically experiencing.

The picketing began small but gradually grew to about one thousand participants and became five months of women braving rains, hot temperatures during the day and cold nights. At the time, the protests drew media attention.

Despite harassment by law enforcement agents five years earlier over a similar action, the women-led by one Claris Ngoma whose husband was owed US$18 000 camped in tents at the entrance for HCCL General offices, vowing not to leave until salary arrears are paid.

HCCL owed an average of US$10,000 to each worker.

As part of the deal to end the now-forgotten protests by many, the stock exchange-listed coal mining firm pledged to assist the women under the banner of Hwange Colliery Mine Workers Spouses Association (HCMWSA) with various income-generating projects while it meets the salary obligations of their spouses through a scheme of arrangement.

Speaking to The Citizen Bulletin, Nomsa Ndlovu whose husband was one of the affected employees says it is disheartening to note that the company seems to ignore its commitment three years down the line.


“The company hasn’t finished paying the arrears after all these years of suffering.”
Nomsa Ndlovu, one of the women


“The most painful part is that, during the time my spouse was working, it was United States dollar era. But, now we are paid in RTGS with an unfair rate, they are using one as to one rate (US$1: ZWL$1) despite that the exchange rate has widened resulting in our money losing value and its purchasing power,” says Ndlovu.

During the protests, seven non-governmental organisations launched a Coalition of Neglect Against Hwange Women in support of striking spouses of Hwange Colliery Company employees.

The organisation comprised of the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG), Women and Land in Zimbabwe, Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA), Women in Politics Support Unity (WIPSU), Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights). The coalition provided moral and material support to the more than 1000 striking women.

However, three years later, HCCL is accused of failing to meet those promises and not adequately paying its workers. The women are complaining again igniting fears of yet another round of protests

Speaking to this publication, HCMWSA Spokesperson Thobekile Shoko says spouses, widows of HCCL workers, as well as former workers, continue to sink into poverty due to economic pressures and the unwillingness of HCCL to fulfil its pledges.


“When we ended the protests, we came to an agreement that HCCL would be paying the salary arrears mid-month and the running month salary at month-end.”
Thobekile Shoko, HCMWSA spokesperson


“In that regard, they have not yet fully paid us. Many promises remain unfulfilled,” says Shoko.

She also accuses the company of not paying the National Employment Council rate and not fully committing to the HCMWSA projects.

The women say they were given 800 out of a promised 2000 chickens for a poultry project.

For Patricia Nambura, the unfulfilled promises by HCCL have strained them and made mine workers objects of poverty.


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“The situation was simple, our husbands are their workers. But, we equally also bear the brunt of our spouses being paid low wages. Our children are living poor lifestyles because our concerns are not being taken seriously,” says Nambura.

HCCL Corporate Communications department could not promptly respond to sent written questions from this reporter.

The yesteryear forceful women say are now afraid to continue reminding the company of unfulfilled promises as their husbands have been frequently targeted and persecuted at work whenever they try to raise the issue as an association.

“But, it’s far from over. We are very much worried about the widows and other ex-employees who have not been paid. There is a need for intervention in that regard,” a distraught Shoko says.


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