Kadoma Mine Flooding

Six miners are feared dead after flooding at Golden Reef Mine in Kadoma, prompting rescue efforts and renewed calls for safety reforms in Zimbabwe’s mining sector (image source)

Six miners are feared dead after an underground shaft at Golden Reef Mine in Etina, Eiffel Flats, Kadoma, suddenly flooded on Wednesday, 19 November. The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirmed the incident on Thursday, 20 November, saying the men were working about 40 metres below ground when water rushed into the shaft. Rescue teams are continuing efforts to retrieve the bodies. According to police reports, the flooding was abrupt and left little time for those underground to escape. Emergency responders, including mine rescue personnel and local authorities, were dispatched to the scene immediately. Recovery operations have been slowed by the depth of the shaft and the volume of water, with teams working to pump out water and stabilise the site before retrieval can proceed safely.

The tragedy has sent shockwaves through the Kadoma mining community, where both formal and informal mining operations are a major source of employment. Local leaders and family members of the missing miners gathered near the mine, anxiously awaiting news as crews worked through the night. Police said updates would be provided as the retrieval operation progresses and urged the public to give rescue teams space to work. The incident comes just two weeks after another deadly flooding at an artisanal mine in Silobela, Midlands Province. On 5 November 2025, seven artisanal miners were trapped when a shaft at Auriga 47 Mine, Base Mineral Block, Nzwananzwi Village, flooded during heavy rains. Their bodies were recovered two days later. The back-to-back fatalities have renewed concerns about safety standards, oversight and emergency preparedness in Zimbabwe’s small-scale mining sector.

Artisanal and small-scale mining is often conducted in informal conditions with limited regulation, and experts warn that such operations are especially vulnerable to sudden flooding, collapses and other hazards. Heavy rains can rapidly fill poorly supported shafts and tunnels, while inadequate drainage and insufficient pumping equipment heighten the risks. Safety advocates have long pushed for stronger enforcement of mining regulations, improved training for artisanal miners and increased access to rescue and recovery resources. As pressure mounts on government agencies and industry bodies, community representatives are demanding a full investigation into the Kadoma incident, including clarity on the cause of the flooding and whether preventable shortcomings contributed to the loss of life.

The human toll remains severe. Families of the missing miners face the anguish and uncertainty that follow sudden workplace disasters, while mining-dependent communities confront the likelihood of further hardship. Local unions and civil society groups have urged authorities to prioritise both immediate rescue efforts and longer-term reforms to improve safety, including stricter monitoring of artisanal sites and investment in emergency response capacity. As recovery teams continue their work at Golden Reef Mine, officials have pledged transparency, saying they are coordinating with mine operators and emergency services to ensure the retrieval is carried out safely. For now, the focus remains on bringing closure to affected families and confronting the systemic safety challenges that make such tragedies all too common in Zimbabwe’s mining sector.