via Mbeki to attend Zim diamond conference – Radio Dialogue October 23, 2014 by Lesley Moyo
FORMER South African President Thabo Mbeki is scheduled to participate at the Zimbabwe Diamond Conference in Harare to be held between November 6 and 7 as the county is struggling to crawl out of a decade long economic decline.
The first-ever diamond conference was in 2012 in Victoria Falls after the country was admitted as a member of the Kimberley Certification Scheme in 2011.
The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development of Zimbabwe is hosting the conference under the theme “Completing Zimbabwe’s Diamond Potential for the Future.”.
According to a notice, Mbeki is listed among eminent industry leaders drawn from the lucrative diamond industry expected to attend.
Three of the world diamond industry leaders have confirmed their participation and they include World Federation of Diamond Bourses president Ernie Blom and CIBJO president Gaetano Cavalieri.
Other dignitaries include Ngoako Ramatlhodi, South Africa Minister of Mineral Resources, Isak Katali Namibia Minister of Mines and Energy, Martin Kabwelulu Labilo, Democratic Republic of the Congo Minister of Mining and Bernardo Campos, the vice chair of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.
However, Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) said on its website that the management of natural resources such as minerals should be focused on the future gains due to the “finite” nature of the resources hence the need for good corporate governance.
“The Government of Zimbabwe needs to ensure that capacity building for contract negotiation is prioritised with regard to natural resources.
“Due to the finite nature of some natural resources, the effect of poorly negotiated contracts can be detrimental.
“Public participation (in line with s. 141 of the Constitution) and Parliamentary oversight should be central in contract negotiation.
“Failure to recognise the full economic potential of natural resources is tantamount to outsourcing labour in a country where the unemployment rate is estimated to be circa 90%,” it said.
COMMENTS
It is really interesting to see how many politicians are involved with these diamonds now! They used to say “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend” – but in Zimbabwe it is “Diamonds are a politician’s best friend.” Where there is money or diamonds we find politicians like flies around a honey pot?
The only country in the sub region that has utilized its diamond resources for tangible national development is conspicuous by its omission from the list of those invited. Is it because Botswana does no allow govt minister to have a personal stake in the industry? Just wondering.
Yes Bwana, Botswana also has a govbernment that spends money on its people rather than using them as slaves for their own ambitions.
@Bwana-Botswana uses its natural resources to benefit everybody because all Tswanas are paid pensions,therefore you hardly see them begging in the streets.The ones you see begging are the illegal Zimbabweans in Botswana.Botswana is a success story in our sub-continent.
Botswana’s citizens are known as BATSWANA please, not TSWANAS!!!
Not all Batswana get pensions as you have indicated..please get facts first…………Botswana has done generally well in managing it’s diamonds for the benefit of everyone and yes it is very critical for one notable representative from Botswana to be given the floor at this conference however I think politics is at play.What it means basically is the world is not ready to play it’s role in trading with ZIM.This reluctance by the world to trade openly with ZIM is killing the economic revival of this our nation,we all know that all these diamonds will one way or the other find their way to the USA and all the traders will corruptly find a way of getting them from ZIM.
I generally think that whilst we must do our homework thoroughly the Americans are also not acting in good faith,no wonder why the MIDDLE EAST conflicts never seem to be ending…The whole world is skewed one way it’s either you agree with America or ……..
Mixed race and Bwana, you are so right, and that is why Mugabe looks across our western border at Botswana and sees a success story whilst he knows full well that he has destroyed his country. A country that Nyerere described as the Jewel of Africa. Well done Bob you evil, thieving murderer you must be proud of yourself!