By Farai Matiashe
First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa and Environment minister Prisca Mupfumira (pictured) yesterday toured Cricket and Silver Moon mines in Battlefields, where at least 24 artisanal miners drowned last week.
Speaking during the tour, Mupfumira said the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and the Zimbabwe Mining Federation (ZMF) should work closely in order to avert such mining disasters.
“There is need to collaborate on issues of compliance, registration and strict observation of safety regulations,” she said.
She said miners should take serious safety recommendations and warnings when they are made by EMA.
Two weeks before the tragedy, EMA had raised a red flag over safety conditions at the two mines, but the warnings were ignored.
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At least 70 artisanal miners were believed to be underground when the mines were hit by flash floods, before eight of them were rescued, while 24 bodies were retrieved. Search missions are still underway to find at least four miners who are officially said to be still trapped underground.