By staff reporter

The Parliamentary portfolio committee on mines and Mining Development says the incident at Premier Estate in Mutasa where some artisanal gold miners are alleged to have been buried alive during a reclamation exercise could have been avoided if due diligence had been done.

Committee chairperson Mr Edmond Mukaratigwa said the company contracted by the Belarusian investor; Zhongjian did not involve community leadership in notifying the miners of the impending exercise, further stating that it has to explain in Parliament why they did not carry out an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment.

The committee also noted with concern that the company does not have a security system in place and relies on police to provide security for their operations, an act which has been disapproved by Acting officer commanding Mutare Rural District Superintendent Phillip Nyateka saying the duty of the police is to maintain peace and order.

The number of people alleged to have been buried remains a speculation with only two people having been retrieved and they have already been buried in their rural home in Buhera.