The ManicaPost
LAST Saturday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa visited the Chiadzwa diamond fields in Marange and officially launched the resumption of operations at Anjin Diamond Mining Company’s plant.
In his address, he said Government is determined to restore productivity in the diamond sector and ensure the attainment of a US$12 billion industry by 2023.
The President highlighted that mining of diamonds and other minerals must change the quality of life of this country’s citizens.
However, this can only be achieved if the companies that were given concessions to mine the precious gems play ball and carry out their activities in utmost good faith and transparency.
President Mnangagwa has set the tone for full scale production in Chiadzwa.
What is now needed is unity of purpose as well as hard and honest work in the sector.
They will help boost output and the national purse.
But elsewhere in this paper we carry a disturbing story on how the country is losing millions of dollars through rampant corruption and revenue leakages at the mines in Chiadzwa.
It is said the precious gems are being stolen by illegal diamond buying syndicates that are colluding with mine employees in Chiadzwa.
Large parcels worth millions are finding their way out of the sorting rooms and are being offloaded onto the black market at give away rates.
The rot has reached alarming levels and if nothing is done to tame this madness, the realisation of a US$12 billion mining sector by the year 2023 hangs by a thread.
The organised corruption in Chiadzwa is a major drawback on the country’s vision.
It is encouraging to note that the Government is coming up with noble rescue packages to kick start the economy and improve the living standards of the general populace.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission has also deployed investigators to get to the bottom of the diamond thefts in Marange. Great strides have been made to bring some of the culprits to book.
At least five suspects, three of them being foreign nationals, have already been arrested by the anti-corruption watchdog for partaking in illegal diamond buying and selling activities. More arrests are imminent as members of the public are coming forward with valuable tip-offs.
Diamonds are a national resource which should benefit everyone, not a few greedy individuals.
Yet the Chiadzwa diamonds fields are being accessed by illegal panners who conduct their activities at night.
Law enforcement agents need to ensure that the diamonds fields are completely sealed off.
It is said the security guards manning the inner circles of the diamonds fields are letting the illegal panners into the heart of the mining operations for them to steal diamond ore.
These illegal activities have been going on for a long time now and sporadic raids that are being conducted by the police are unfortunately proving to be inadequate in arresting the situation.
The security matrix at the fields must improve urgently to stop the leakages.
More resources need to be channelled towards surveillance.
Drones can be utilised in aerial surveillance of the vast diamond fields.
Motorised patrol units must also be increased.
The justice delivery system must not handle those found guilty of illegally dealing in diamonds with kid gloves.
Stiffer custodial sentences will send the right signals to would-be offenders.
Families that were living in Chiadzwa were moved from their homesteads and relocated elsewhere to pave way for mining activities as they were sitting on a national resource whose extraction would benefit the country.
The ongoing illegal activities are a slap in the face of these families. They did not leave their homesteads to pave way for illegal diamond dealers to feast on the country’s resources.
Proceeds from the exploitation of the precious gems must benefit the entire nation.
