Source: EASTERN NEWS | Outrage over Chiadzwa security ‘abuses’ – DailyNews Live
Bernard Chiketo 31 August 2017
MUTARE – Fearful villagers from the diamond-rich Chiadzwa area are
accusing the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) of gross human
rights abuses, which its chief executive officer, Morris Mpofu, confirmed
were being investigated by police.
President Robert Mugabe’s government was accused of gross human rights
violations during the Chiadzwa diamond rush in 2008 when security forces
were alleged of using force against villagers and artisanal miners.
This week, the villagers around the protected minefields, which have been
taken over by the ZCDC, following government decision to consolidate the
mines which were previously owned separately by local and foreign firms,
accused ZCDC of using force against illegal miners.
The villagers allege that ZCDC security in some cases unleash dogs to maul
arrested illegal miners.
“I received a report from the police on that issue and they are conducting
investigations. My understanding from the report is that these were
illegal panners who ran away and tried to swim across a slime dam and they
drowned,” Mpofu told the Daily News.
He, however, denied that ZCDC security was perpetrating gross human rights
violations, vowing to investigate the claims.
“I’m not aware of it…I’m getting it from you. If there is anything of
that sort we are going to investigate it, but we have security that is
well equipped and trained to ensure that it addresses all matters in a
manner that is humane and following proper procedures.
“If there are elements within the security force that are doing that it’s
not a corporate policy or strategy to do that,” he added.
Centre for Natural Resource Governance director, Farai Maguwu, blamed
government for the alleged abuse of illegal diamond miners in Chiadzwa,
saying it bred the culture of impunity.
“I think it’s simply a reflection of the culture of impunity which
Zimbabwe has cultivated over the years, with people who commit gross human
rights violations are never held to account.
“…in Zimbabwe it’s now become the norm that the security sector is above
the law. They can kill, they can rape, they can beat and no one ever holds
them accountable that’s why in Chiadzwa they feel it’s patriotic to beat
people and dump them in Save River. If anything, they will be promoted for
doing that,” Maguwu claimed.
“Given that ZCDC is a wholly-owned government entity we don’t expect their
private security to do things that security companies employed by the
Chinese were doing against Zimbabweans. They need to exercise tolerance.
“The issue is to understand why people are going to Chiadzwa. If you go
and ask a child in primary school what job they would want no one will
tell you they want to be a mukorokoza (artisanal miner).
People become makorokoza because they can’t find jobs. That should be
understood. It’s a survival instinct that is pushing them. They don’t have
any source of livelihood,” added Maguwu.
Extractive sector researcher and Centre for Research and Development
director James Mupfumi said illegal diamond diggers need to be
incorporated into formal mining operations and foster community ownership
of the diamond fields, if the conflict is to be resolved.
“If you look into the portfolio committee report, there is this
recommendation. A policy should be developed to integrate artisanal and
small-scale diamond miners who are operating illegally in Marange,” he
said.
“They have been cheated once. They know that ZCDC will not channel money
to development. This is why the community is harbouring the illegal
artisanal panners.
“…everyone in the value chain of diamond mining from the community,
security and illegal miners have uncertainty over the benefits of diamond
mining to the nation. These are syndicates operating because they don’t
see any benefits from ZCDC operations.
“There is opacity and lack of transparency and no community ownership of
the project. The community was ostracised since 2007 by the seven
companies that were there,” added Mupfumi.
Meanwhile, opposition National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) is demanding
the resignation of Mpofu following the drowning of four illegal diamond
miners in a slime dam in Chiadzwa last week.
NCA Manicaland provincial spokesperson David Mukunda told the Daily News
that his party has engaged Provincial Affairs minister Mandi Chimene
demanding the investigation of ZCDC security and Mpofu’s sacking.
“NCA Manicaland has written to…Chimene to take action against the guards
who caused the death of those four illegal diamond panners, to punish the
company and also fire the CEO with immediate effect,” Mukunda said.
The four illegal miners reportedly died after they were trapped in a muddy
slime dam while trying to flee ZCDC security last Monday.
ZCDC has been battling an influx of illegal artisanal miners in the
gem-rich area.
All four – Collen Mazikani, Matrick Mafela, Never Mafundu and Moshood
Musoso – are Chief Marange’s subjects who lost their lives in an area
controlled by Headman Chiadzwa, a subject of Chief Muusha, albeit in an
area originally belonging to the Marange people.
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