By Michael Gwarisa in Midlands Province
As one descends the winding Boterekwa curves in Shurugwi in the Midlands province, the scale of mining activity becomes impossible to ignore. The landscape has transformed dramatically since the turn of the millennium. In the distance, rocks are blasted from the earth, sending thick clouds of dust into the sky.
Just past the curves, Musasa Shopping Centre is a hive of activity. Evidence of the night’s revelry litters the open space, with empty beer bottles and used condoms scattered near Chirasha Bar, one of the area’s most popular drinking spots. Female vendors dominate the centre during the day, but many double as sex workers by night, offering services to miners who have spent long hours underground.
This is where we spend our money whenever we get paid,” said Tafadzwa, an 18-year-old artisanal miner. “Yes, sex workers are plenty here. You find sex workers of all ages here.”
Tafadzwa dropped out of school to pursue mining, a trend that has become normalised in Shurugwi. Officials warn that school dropouts among adolescent boys are increasing as artisanal mining becomes the district’s dominant livelihood.
“Truth of the matter is that these adolescents are already indulging because they are already exposed,” said Patience Muza, the District AIDS Coordinator for the National AIDS Council (NAC) in Shurugwi. “Throughout our programming, we have realised that adolescent boys ranging from the age of 19 to 24 are now also part and parcel of the artisanal mining community as their socioeconomic activity.”
Shurugwi is one of the areas hardest hit by HIV in Midlands Province. According to NAC, HIV prevalence here stands at 14.6 percent, second only to Zvishavane at 16.3 percent.
Across the province, hotspots are emerging wherever mining expands. In Gokwe South, prevalence is lower, yet new infections remain a concern due to the influx of sex workers around mining settlements. At Masororo Shopping Centre, activity surges after paydays as miners spend their wages on alcohol and sex. In broad daylight, sex workers openly solicit to attract customers with ready cash.
Some mine owners are, however, working with NAC to curb infections. At a mine in Masororo owned by Ward 24 Councillor Cosmus Maketo, sex workers are not allowed on site.
“We don’t allow sex workers in here,” said miner Trynos Ndlovu. “That has helped us a lot in curbing the problem of sexually transmitted infections and HIV here.”
The mine has also introduced peer-led programmes, where senior miners educate younger colleagues on HIV and STI risks. Demonstrations on correct condom use are conducted regularly.
“I was trained to teach my colleagues and peers on the importance of safe sex and the consistent and correct use of condoms. Ever since we started these sessions, we are seeing a reduction in the problems we used to have. Our STIs are now very low and so are new HIV infections,” said Mr. Edmore Mutamba, a manager at the mine and peer educator.
Elsewhere, the picture is even more concerning. Zvishavane leads the Midlands province in HIV prevalence. NAC Provincial Manager Mr. Mambewu Shumba said Zvishavane’s 16.3 percent rate is driven largely by mining activities, mobility, sex work, informal trade, and the presence of truckers.
“Regarding Zvishavane specifically, its high HIV prevalence is driven by its mining activities. Factors include mobility, sex work, informal trade, and the presence of truckers and miners who spend extended periods in the area,” said Mr. Shumba.
Midlands Province, home to 1.8 million people, has about 165,000 people living with HIV. Among those aged 15–49, prevalence is 10.9 percent. Incidence stands at 0.21. ART coverage is improving, but children are lagging behind at 73 percent compared to 89 percent for adults. Overall, about 144,000 people in the province are on ART, including second- and third-line treatments.
Challenges remain, including stigma, low comprehensive HIV knowledge, drug and substance abuse among youth, inconsistent condom use, high STI rates in Shurugwi and Gweru, and sexual and gender-based violence in districts such as Shurugwi, Silobela, and Gokwe.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), working with the National AIDS Council is implementing a raft of measures to combat the HIV burden in the entire Midlands province.
Dr. Mary Muchekeza, the Provincial Medical Director for Midlands Province, said the Ministry of Health is scaling up prevention programmes tailored to high-risk populations such as artisanal miners.
“The ministry provides a basket of HIV prevention services meant to ensure that all recipients of care within the HIV programming space have access to the tests they need, the treatment they require, and the viral suppression necessary to stay healthy,” said Dr. Muchekeza.
“Under these services, we also offer biomedical HIV prevention, which includes pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). A miner may test negative today, but we know that their risk is a day-to-day reality because mining is their livelihood. That is why consistent access to prevention and treatment services is so critical.”
