A Major Win for Workers' Health in Zimbabwe: New OSH Bill Supports TB Prevention in Mines

On 3 June 2025, Zimbabwe took a bold step toward protecting the health and safety of its workforce with the approval of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Bill, 2025. Signed into law by the President, this landmark legislation aims to reduce occupational diseases, injuries, and fatalities—especially in high-risk sectors like mining, where TB and silicosis remain urgent public health challenges.

This marks a major advocacy milestone for the Zimbabwe TB Caucus, which has consistently raised parliamentary motions and awareness around the rising burden of occupational TB. The Caucus has particularly emphasized the need for stronger protections for miners, who face elevated risks of TB due to silica dust exposure and poor ventilation underground. The OSH Bill reflects years of tireless advocacy from parliamentarians who have worked to bring worker safety and TB prevention to the top of the legislative agenda.

What the OSH Bill, 2025 Means

The new OSH Bill consolidates and expands Zimbabwe’s previously fragmented workplace safety laws, repealing outdated frameworks like the Pneumonoconiosis Act and the Factories and Works Act. Crucially, it brings national legislation in line with key International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, including:

• Convention 155 – Occupational Safety and Health

• Convention 176 – Safety and Health in Mines

• Convention 161 – Occupational Health Services

• Convention 170 – Chemicals Convention

• Convention 187 – Promotional Framework for OSH

• Convention 162 – Asbestos Convention

• Convention 174 – Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents

  
  

Through these alignments, the Bill will promote a comprehensive, rights-based approach to occupational health, addressing not only physical injuries but also the growing incidence of occupational lung diseases such as TB and silicosis.

Parliamentary Advocacy in Action

The Zimbabwe TB Caucus has long advocated for the protection of miners and other vulnerable workers, pushing for improved workplace health surveillance, compensation mechanisms, and integration of TB screening in occupational health services. The passing of this legislation validates the importance of parliamentarian-led advocacy and demonstrates how political commitment can lead to real legislative progress.

As the law is operationalized, it offers an opportunity to institutionalize TB prevention and care within workplace safety frameworks. This is particularly critical in the Southern African region, where the intersection of TB and mining remains a significant driver of disease burden.

Read the full brief here.