📍KAHAMA, Shinyanga Region
The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to empowering small-scale miners and strengthening the role of Chief Inspectors of Mines as part of broader efforts to enhance workplace safety, environmental protection and the mining sector’s contribution to national economic growth.
The call was made today in Kahama District, Shinyanga Region, by the Director of Licensing at the Mining Commission, Engineer Aziza Swedi, while officiating the opening of a training programme for mine managers and Chief Inspectors of Mines drawn from small-scale mining operations. She represented the Executive Secretary of the Mining Commission, Engineer Ramadhani Lwamo.
The training brings together participants from key mining areas of Kahama, Mbogwe and Shinyanga, with the aim of strengthening technical capacity, improving mine management practices, enhancing compliance with laws and regulations, and promoting safe and sustainable mining operations.
Speaking during the opening session, Engineer Swedi emphasised that Chief Inspectors of Mines must be accorded full cooperation and an enabling working environment to effectively discharge their regulatory responsibilities.
She noted that strengthened inspection systems would help prevent mining accidents, safeguard miners’ health and protect surrounding ecosystems.
Engineer Swedi further observed that the success of government initiatives to empower small-scale miners depends largely on strong collaboration among stakeholders, particularly mine managers and inspectors who play a central role in enforcing compliance and safety standards.
“The Government seeks to ensure that mining activities continue contributing to national development while being conducted safely and in ways that protect the environment, miners’ health and community wellbeing,” she said.
She added that effective supervision of mining operations would support the national vision championed by President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan to increase the mining sector’s contribution to Gross Domestic Product from the current 10 per cent to 12.5 per cent by 2030.
Engineer Swedi explained that small-scale miners already account for approximately 40 per cent of revenue generated from mineral activities, underscoring their growing importance in the national economy.
She urged mine owners to maintain accurate production records and proper documentation to facilitate timely government revenue collection.
The Director also cautioned against unsafe mining practices, highlighting the uncontrolled use of hazardous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide, as well as exposure to silica dust, which can lead to serious health conditions including silicosis, tuberculosis and cancer.
Meanwhile, the Mining Commission’s Director of Mine Inspection and Environment, Engineer Hamisi Kamando, called on Chief Inspectors of Mines to submit regular inspection reports to enable the Government to identify risks early and implement preventive measures.
He noted that challenges persist in some mining areas, including regulatory violations, poor production record management, tax evasion and mineral smuggling. The training, he said, is designed to equip participants with the skills necessary to serve as ambassadors of compliance within the mining sector.
“We want miners to enter the mines safely and return home safely every day. Human life is far more valuable than minerals,” Engineer Kamando stressed.
For his part, the Chairman of the Shinyanga Regional Miners Association (SHIREMA), Hamza Tandiko, underscored the importance of professionalism among miners and accurate reporting of mining activities, while commending mine inspectors for their contribution in reducing accidents and environmental risks in mining areas.
