EDITORIAL: Miners are an important asset we must protect

On Tuesday, two miners are alleged to have wandered off from their colleagues but took too long to return. Alarmed, other miners went in search of the two. Three more would disappear, never to be seen alive again. The five died from suffocation in a mining cave in Burera District, Police said. The scene of the mine tragedy, Bugarama Mining Company, is a new firm that should be adding to the statistics of revenue collection, not wreaths being laid. But tragedy is not easy to explain. However, the alarm bell is loud and clear. Authorities should not consider this an isolated incident, for, according to Evoda Imena, the state minister for minerals, in July alone, three incidents in Gakenke District claimed one person, while five other miners died in Ngororero District. In other words, at least 11 miners have died in the last three weeks or so. How is the government going to realise its target of generating $400 million in mineral revenue by 2017 if miners have reasons to fear for their lives every now and then? The tragedies call for urgent intervention to give miners complete reassurance that the risks have been significantly reduced? Authorities must embark on more sensitisation. Reports suggest illegal miners are daring enough to hit the caves in the dead of the night. The country cannot afford continued recklessness of otherwise valuable human resources. Mining firms should not wait for Police to stretch their resources further into ringing safety campaigns; the onus starts with them. Also, safety gear is a must. Reports that many miners operate without protective gear are not good for the sector. In February, lawmakers said the mining sector was growing at the detriment of mine workers, with many of them continuing to work part-time and without contracts, medical insurances, and getting paid measly sums. These flaws trigger off the risks miners take to earn a few extra bucks. Appearing before senators in February, Minister Imena was told to ensure that government moves swiftly to organise miners so that those working part-time or without contracts become full-time employees with rights and obligations. The mining sector is too crucial for the economy, which makes the human resources equally significant. The government cannot afford to keep risking them.

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EDITORIAL: Miners are an important asset we must protect