Mining Deaths Must Stop

ZASAA warns of repeated safety failures after Matala Mine incident

By Francis Maingaila

Lusaka, Zambia24, (May 8, 2026) — The Zambia Safety Awards for Excellence Organisation (ZASAA) has called for urgent action to strengthen occupational health and safety awareness and enforcement following the incident at Matala Gold Mine in Nangoma Constituency, Mumbwa District, where five small-scale miners are feared trapped underground.

ZASAA President and Founder Hellen Mwamba said repeated neglect of safety standards is leading to preventable loss of life and insisted that mining deaths must stop immediately.

Mwamba said the incident reflects a persistent and avoidable pattern of mining-related tragedies in the country.

“This incident must not simply be treated as another mining accident. We must not normalise preventable tragedy,” she said.

She commended emergency response teams and stakeholders involved in rescue operations at the mine.

However, Mwamba stressed that prevention remains the real solution.

“We keep responding to the same type of tragedy over and over again,” she said.

She noted that Zambia already has safety laws and institutions in place, but the main challenge is poor enforcement and weak safety awareness.

“The challenge is not the absence of laws. It is enforcement and attitude,” she said.

ZASAA also expressed concern that many small-scale miners continue to ignore safety guidelines.

“Safety is often seen as an inconvenience, but it must be a priority,” Mwamba said.

She warned that no economic activity should come before human life.

“No mineral is worth a life lost in a preventable accident,” she said.

Mwamba further said safety guidance should not be viewed as punishment.

“Safety guidance is not persecution. It is protection,” she said.

ZASAA has since called for intensified safety awareness campaigns in mining communities and greater collaboration among relevant institutions.

“We must build a culture where safety is not optional,” Mwamba said.

She also expressed sympathy to families affected by the Matala Mine incident.