An inquiry was conducted by the portfolio committee on mines and energy in Zimbabwe into the diamond mining sector between 2009 and 2013 with the intention of holding the executive to account. Although standing order 167 empowers the committee to summon anyone to appear before the committee for a hearing except the president, Mbada and Canadile miners initially refused to attend the committee hearings and only attended after the
committee had invoked section 9 of the Privileges, Immunities and Powers of Parliament Act. The Chindori Chininga led committee indicated in their report presented in parliament in June 2013, that the executive was not willing to be hold accountable by parliament. The report also mentioned that the ministry of mines discouraged mining companies from attending committee hearings during that time. Furthermore the committee also highlighted that they were on two occasions denied entry into the diamond fields by state security agencies in 2010. When they were finally granted permission into Chiadzwa in 2012, security operatives denied them the right to meet with communities impacted by mining operations for “security reasons”, said the report.
