By Charlotte Chizombe
Operations at Murowa Diamonds have come to a standstill as workers downed tools in protest over five months of unpaid salaries, poor working conditions, and alleged mismanagement at the mine.
The workers, who have been on strike for nearly a week, say they were recently offered only 35% of one month’s salary, with no clear plan for settling the remaining arrears. They are now calling for urgent government intervention, citing deteriorating conditions on the ground.
“We are surrounded by gold, yet we live in poverty,” said Justice Chinhema, Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union. “We have no food, no medical aid, and no protective clothing. We are living far from our families, under harsh conditions.”
The mineworkers’ union has raised the alarm, warning that the mine is on the brink of collapse due to what it describes as deep-rooted corruption and poor management. The union is pushing for Murowa Diamonds to be placed under the government’s Copper Rescue programme to restore stability, transparency, and accountability.
“The situation has reached a crisis level. Enough is enough,” said the union in a strongly worded statement.
Located in the Midlands province, Murowa Diamonds is one of Zimbabwe’s key diamond producers. The strike has already disrupted operations significantly, with fears mounting that the crisis may spread to other mines if the issues are not resolved.
At the time of publishing, management at Murowa Diamonds had not issued an official response.
