Clapper, Patti, Schweizer and Mason

Zimbabwe asbestos mines are facing closure as South Africa, one of the major importers of the products, has banned the use of asbestos materials. Zimbabwe risks losing 60 million U.S. dollars annually from the loss of sales of asbestos products to the South African market while the future of about 10,000 asbestos mineworkers and 70, 000 people who directly benefit from the sector may be affected by the ban. The Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Ambassador Amos Midzi, confirmed the ban November 28, 2008.

 

South Africa has been the major importer of finished asbestos products such as irrigation and water reticulation pipes, brake pads and gaskets, and roofing sheets. Asbestos mines in Zimbabwe include Shabanie and Gaths plus two chrysotile mines and other downstream industries.

 

The crusade to ban asbestos has been spearheaded by the European Green Movement, an environmental group who educates about the dangers of asbestos and chrysotile fibers and urge the ban of such products. The main objective of the South African regulations is to prohibit the use, processing or manufacturing of any asbestos or asbestos-containing products. The Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) has said the use of asbestos has been on the decline worldwide due to the hazards associated with the mineral. 

 

Health risks arise from the inhalation of asbestos fibers into the lungs. Larger fibers are usually cleared by normal physiological process but smaller fibers can cause serious diseases and cancer, such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer and pleural disease. The symptoms of mesothelioma and asbestosis can take 20 to 50 years after exposure to appear.   Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.  The risk of getting cancer is greater with increased exposure and even minor exposure can have serious health effects.  Treatment options are greatest with early detection.