A Mutare woman is together with her minor child suing a Chinese miner for burying her husband alive during a mine site rehabilitation last year.
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights who are representing the widow, Nester Munyongani and her son said the duo wants ZWL$2 million from Xu Zhong Jin Investments.
Munyongani argues that the Chinese miner was told the deceased Sure Mutamba, an artisanal miner, was underground but Xu Zhong Jin Investments continued with the rehabilitation burying Mutamba in the process.
At Mutasa Magistrates Court, Xu Zhong Jin Investments, is standing trial after being sued for damages by the widow for burying Sure Mutamba alive in November 2020 while rehabilitating a mining site at Premier Estate in Old Mutare in Manicaland province.
Mutamba’s body was only exhumed 3 days after he died following protests by community members over the inhumane operations of the Chinese miner.
In summons filed in court, lawyers stated that the Chinese miner had been advised that Mutamba was underground before its employees even closed the deep pit but they proceeded and closed the pit. Our intervention in this matter is meant to protect the rights of communities in conflict with big mining corporations.
