Video: Hwange miners’ wives protest over unpaid salaries

HUNDREDS of spouses of Hwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL) employees have been staging a sit-in at the coal mining company premises since Monday demanding payment of their husbands’ outstanding salaries.

By Nokhuthaba Dlamini

Watch video

The placard-waving protesters, who also included mine workers’ children and widows, yesterday accused the company of reneging on its pledge to stagger monthly payments of wages accrued since 2014.

They sang in Ndebele, Shona, Nambya and Tonga denouncing the managing director, Thomas Makore, accusing him of being “greedy and selfish” and leading a lavish lifestyle while workers and their families were suffering.

Some of the placards read: “First Lady, why can’t you come and help us”; “Five years no pay, but going to work everyday”; “Enough is enough”; “Makore must pack his bags and go”.

Heavily-armed police officers and soldiers secured the company’s main offices to ensure the protesters did not break into the offices.

The protesters accused mine management of refusing to address them, with Makore reported to have flown to Harare when the protests started on Monday.

“Makore flew to Harare when he heard that we were coming and his human resources manager, Munangwa, has been hiding. We will not leave this place until something happens,” a protester said. “These police are not for people. We sought clearance and they never bothered to approve and now they have turned against us as if we are committing an offence. They can arrest us, but we want our children to go to school and have all the resources required.”

Matabeleland North provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Siphiwe Makonese confirmed receiving a letter informing the police of the women’s intention to demonstrate, but said they were yet to approve the protests.

HCCL has been paying its workforce 50% of their salaries since the beginning of last year and last June, the company managed to pay 7% of the employees’ 2014 outstanding dues.

Last month, the company managed to pay the allotted 2,6% monthly payment as per the scheme of arrangement.

Efforts to get a comment from HCCL officials were fruitless as visitors were barred from accessing the premises and Makore’s mobile phone was unreachable.



  1. Thank Newsday for reporting about the demo. It’s surprisingly that Chronicle and newspapers have decided to keep a news blackout on one of the peaceful demonstrations. It boggles the mind why the police do not want to clear the women demo. Makore, Munangwa and the Finance Manager must go, they are very corrupt and always lying to the Government concerning production figures. Everyone knows that the trio are G40 and the former is related to Walter Chidhakwa and he does not have any mining experience.

    1. Thats very true, a forensic audit is needed at the mine coz there is a lot of corruption happening at the mine. Qualified employees have left the mine due to frustration and nepotism. Makore, Munangwa and Marapira are the most corrupt. Only time will tell

  2. Slavery, they sell coal daily and buy latest cars which they convert to personal use every five years.

  3. Abwezi Chiberekerewe

    This is exactly what is happening within Metallon Group.

  4. refugee in my own country

    sure mettallon now gold fields of mazowe is doing the same so how are the families going to survive without being paid something needs to be done because these mines eish its pain

  5. the new era must sought this out because many people because of famish were doing everything but now we need an excellent change in Zim

  6. Mwemba Boy wake up and use ur common sense and don’t be stupid
    These problems in colliery,Nrz,zisco etc are ZANU gvt problems not G40.Zanu pf is the problem and has ti go .once u start lebelling that u will remain in poverty the rest of ur miserable life

  7. Kuzotizira kuHarare matsotsi evanhu. Operation restore legacy must come to Hwange Colliery Mine and uproot all corrupt elements in the Colliery Head Office. Well done ladies try again.

  8. operation restore order is just propaganda.there’s no such thing,besides the economy is even getting worse.

    operation restore order yedu kubvisa ZANU yese.if u don’t do that forget about having a decent life for urself and ur children in Zimbabwe

  9. Munangwa,Makore,Marapira & Masiya have failed to run the mine, its either they lie or they fire workers for no reason.They believe in confrontation and these are now the results.Nobody wants them to stay they must go and we want a forensic audit into what happenned to $150m they were given by govt.

  10. Comment…corrupt HCCL officials and management subotaging Government’s will to lead an economic recovery.
    Hwange will not be bullied….

  11. Thank you for publishing this newsday. I was suprised when @ Mpofu said we came to hear colliery employees grievences. Government as a shareholder receieves statements of financial positions every trading period and um sure they new wat was on the ground all along. Chitando is chairman and mines minister how can he not know that workers are not being unless he is a fool. Hwange colliery is basically in a political triangle. They has been MD scandals Starting from the point wen Prof Dzinomwa left.

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