By Flata Kavinga
Kwekwe City Council has stepped up efforts to raise awareness about silicosis amid concerns over exposure to silica dust in the mining and construction sectors.
Kwekwe mayor Cllr Albert Zinhanga said the campaign was prompted by his visit to Kwekwe General Hospital last year, where he learnt about the impact of the occupational lung disease from medical personnel.
“I was touched by the statistics. Then it became an issue that continued to bother my mind,” Zinhanga said in an interview with journalists on the sidelines of a Kwekwe District Silicosis Awareness Campaign.
Silicosis is an incurable lung disease caused by prolonged inhalation of respirable crystalline silica dust, which can occur in mining, quarrying and construction activities.
Zinhanga said the campaign was aimed at ensuring that miners, mine owners and communities understood the risks associated with exposure to silica dust.
“We need to send the message not only to the miners, the owners of the mines, but to the people who are in the mines that we have silicosis,” he said.
Kwekwe is a major mining centre, with gold mining and construction activities forming part of the district’s economic activity.
Zinhanga said the council had partnered Kwekwe Polytechnic in efforts to combat the disease after recognising that silicosis was a district-wide concern.
“We decided to have a venture with Kwekwe Polytechnic in the fight against the disease. We then realised that this was a problem for Kwekwe District,” he said.
He said the mayor’s office was also working with other government departments and stakeholders in the district to strengthen the awareness campaign.
The campaign included a march followed by roadshows at Mbizo 4 and Amaveni shopping centres, where awareness activities were expected to continue.
Zinhanga said the awareness programme would be followed by a district silicosis conference at Kwekwe Polytechnic on September 25, bringing together stakeholders involved in addressing the disease.
“We are going to have a conference on silicosis at Kwekwe Polytechnic where all stakeholders will be involved. We requested the miners to bring their workers along for the conference,” he said.
He said the campaign would continue beyond the awareness activities being held this week.
“This is not the end. We are going to have another big programme on 25 September 2026,” Zinhanga said.
The mayor also urged stakeholders to recognise that miners themselves are often exposed to occupational hazards while carrying out work within the mining sector.
