For Immediate Release
Harare, 9 June 2026
The Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) is concerned by reports of two separate deaths involving personnel working at Bikita Minerals during the weekend of 6–7 June 2026.
Following enquiries by CNRG, Bikita Minerals confirmed that on 6 June 2026 at approximately 19:45 hours, Mr. Thomas Kaliveni (40), a dump truck operator employed by WGB Kinsey & Company, an independent contractor operating at the mine, sustained injuries in an incident at a waste dump site and later succumbed to those injuries. The company stated that investigations into the circumstances surrounding the accident are ongoing.
Bikita Minerals also confirmed a second and unrelated incident involving a security guard employed by Rebnek Security, an independent security services provider. According to the company, the employee was found unresponsive while on duty during the early hours of 7 June 2026 by a supervisor conducting routine inspections.
According to information obtained by CNRG from workers who were on shift at the time of the incident, the fatal accident occurred within the mining operations area. Workers have raised serious concerns regarding deteriorating occupational health and safety conditions at the mine, particularly within the Quarry and Mining Department, where blasting and hauling operations are conducted.
The allegations emerging from workers paint a disturbing picture of compromised safety standards. Employees report that several experienced and skilled workers were laid off beginning June last year, resulting in the loss of critical expertise required for safe mining operations. Workers further allege that the construction and maintenance of benches and artificial mounds used by tipper trucks in hauling ore have not met required safety standards, increasing the risk of accidents.
Of particular concern are reports that basic safety infrastructure, including adequate reflectors and visibility markers across operational areas, is either not available or insufficient. Workers claim that these deficiencies have contributed to an increasingly hazardous working environment, with incidents involving haulage trucks becoming more frequent.
The company did not respond to the questions submitted by CNRG seeking clarification on the incidents and broader workplace safety concerns. This is not the first fatality recorded at Bikita Minerals since the take of the mine by the Chinese company, Sinomine Resource Group. On October 23, 2003 Nelson Musendekwa (28) of Mafuka Village under Chief Marozva was loading tantalite into 1 tonne bags with seven others when the machine fell on him, killing him instantly. On the 22nd of August 2025, Farai Murimoga Mutsvange, who worked for WGB Kinsey and Company (Kinsey) – a subcontractor at Bikita Minerals – was struck and killed by another dump truck while walking towards his vehicle in dusty conditions. In 2025 a blasting incident at the mine left three children seriously injured.
Mining remains one of the most dangerous occupations in Zimbabwe and globally. This reality places an even greater responsibility on mining companies to ensure strict adherence to occupational health and safety standards. Every worker has the right to a safe working environment and to return home safely at the end of each shift.
CNRG notes with concern that efforts to obtain official comment from Bikita Minerals through its publicly available contact channels were unsuccessful at the time of publishing this statement. The absence of timely and transparent communication following a workplace fatality only serves to deepen public concern and undermines confidence in the company’s commitment to accountability.
We therefore call for:
- An immediate suspension of operations at Bikita Minerals and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the two fatalities;
- A comprehensive independent occupational health and safety audit of Bikita Minerals’ operations, particularly within the Quarry and Mining Department;
- The setting up of a task force comprising of the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, and the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to assess compliance with workplace safety regulations;
- Full disclosure of the findings of any investigation to workers, affected families, regulators, and the public;
- Immediate corrective measures to address any identified safety deficiencies and prevent further loss of life.
- Fair compensation to families of the deceased in the event that poor safety standards are responsible for the fatalities
The reported death of another worker cannot be treated as a routine workplace incident. Every fatality represents a profound human tragedy and should trigger urgent action to identify and eliminate the conditions that place workers at risk.
As Zimbabwe positions itself as a strategic player in the global lithium industry, respect for workers’ rights, occupational safety, and human dignity must be non-negotiable. The country’s mineral wealth cannot be built on unsafe working conditions and preventable workplace deaths.
ENDS
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