Dalny Mine 2 Primary School At Risk Of Collapse Due To Illegal Mining

The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has warned that Dalny Mine 2 Primary School in Sanyati District, Mashonaland West Province, is at risk of collapsing due to tunnels being dug by artisanal miners beneath the school infrastructure.

In a statement, ARTUZ warned that unless authorities intervene urgently, the fate of Dalny Mine 2 Primary School could mirror that of Globe and Phoenix Primary School in Kwekwe District, Midlands Province. ARTUZ said:

Illegal artisanal mining is leaving a trail of ecological and infrastructure destruction in the said community. We are worried that when schools open in January 2025, Dalny Primary will be no more.

Dalny 2 Primary has an enrollment of over 600 learners attended to by 22 Patriotic Teachers. If Dalny Primary School collapses when schools are open these lives can potentially be lost.

The closest school to Dalny Primary is Dalny 1 Primary which already accommodates 1,500 learners.

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There is no room for the 600 learners from Dalny 2. If Dalny Mine 2 Primary School is allowed to collapse 600 learners will be out of school.

The union said Zimbabwe already has a shortage of over 3000 schools, we cannot afford to lose a great school like Dalny Primary.

In 2023, Dalny 2 Primary School had a Grade 7 pass rate of 26.8%, which marginally improved to 26.9% in 2024 despite challenges in the education sector.

ARTUZ has appealed to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, the Public Service Commission (PSC), the Environmental Management Agency, and other stakeholders to take action to save the school from potential collapse.

On March 16, 2023, a classroom block at Globe and Phoenix Primary School collapsed into an illegal mine shaft due to uncontrolled underground mining activities, injuring at least 14 pupils but fortunately resulting in no fatalities.

Since the collapse, the school has been declared too risky for lessons to continue, and students have been learning in makeshift tents at a nearby school.

The government has identified a new site for the school, but construction progress has been delayed due to the need for a geological survey to evaluate the impact of mining on the site.

More: Pindula News