RioZim Limited, the company that controls 100% shareholding in Murowa Diamonds, reportedly fired pilots in December last year and hired outsiders to fly gems before a plane carrying diamonds crashed near Beatrice this week.

The Zimbabwe Independent reported a source as saying that RZM Aviation, the firm that manages RioZim’s aviation operations, dismissed its entire group of pilots. Said the source:

There is a mass exodus of employees at RioZim. The aviation department has been the most affected. This saw the company outsourcing aviation services.

RZM reportedly operates a fleet of planes consisting of a Kingair 200, a Navajo-PA31, and a Cessna 206.

The Piper 31 aircraft that crash-landed on Monday afternoon was reportedly under the stewardship of a private pilot.

No one was killed in the incident, but there were injuries to police officers armed internal security guards and the pilot.

The Zimbabwe Independent was told that Pilot Zvikomborero Nyamakura was at the controls when the aircraft crashed into a field about 16km outside Beatrice.

Others included Murowa Diamonds security officer Salfina Karimazondo and Obey Mabvundwi, a CID officer, along with guards from Fawcett Security.

RioZim chief executive officer (CEO), Manit Shar told the publication that he was in Asia this week, and was unable to comment on the accident.