The ManicaPost
Abel Zhakata Senior Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Mining Company is creating a database of prospective job-seekers from the Marange community who will get first employment preference at the Chiadzwa mine.
Responding to complaints raised by children during belated Day of the African Child celebrations held at Buwerimwe Secondary School last Saturday, Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Dr Chris Mushohwe, said diamonds must benefit locals.
He said ZCDC had an obligation to better the lives of the surrounding communities through investing heavily to upgrade social infrastructure.
“Like what is happening in other communities where natural resources are being mined, the people of Chiadzwa must benefit from the diamonds that are being mined here. What we must know is that once these diamonds are mined they are gone forever. They don’t grow again like grass. What it means is that these diamonds which are being mined on our doorstep must leave a mark of development that we will show to future generations as testimony that we once had diamonds that changed our lives,” he said.
Dr Mushohwe said locals must get employment first and the recruitment process must be done in a transparent manner.
Coming to the rights of children, Dr Mushohwe urged minors to report cases of abuse whenever they are subjected to maltreatment.
He urged the Marange communities to shun early child marriages and the pledging of young girls to appease traditional beliefs of ngozi.
Dr Mushohwe said the rights of children were enshrined in the Constitution and those who abuse minors will be punished accordingly.
“We understand that things are hard these days but we must not use that as an excuse to sell our children into early marriages. If some of our traditional beliefs are in friction with the new Constitution regarding the rights of children we must discard them because they are unlawful.”
He urged youths without national identification documents to visit the Registrar General’s offices in the district to acquire the documents so that they register to vote in next year’s elections.
Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Cde Mandi Chimene, urged children to value their tradition and have self-pride.
“I have come here to tell you that you are very special children. We must value our culture and do away with the idea of copying Western cultures that kill our dignity. Let us be proud of who we are and defend the sovereignty of our country,” she said.
