via Zimbabwe may have to stop producing diamonds | MINING.com by Cecilia Jamasmie | December 10, 2013
Despite being the world’s fourth-largest diamond miner, Zimbabwe is still one of the poorest countries in the world.
Zimbabwe, one of the world’s top diamond-producing countries, may soon have to wave its gem extraction industry good bye as miners operating at Marange and Chiadzwa fields claim it has become economically unviable for them to dig any deeper for the precious stones.
According to State-run Herald newspaper, Mines Minister Walter Chidhakwa was told last week that alluvial diamonds —which are easily extractable through open cast mining— have run out and existing miners say they have neither the expertise nor the resources to search for new deposits underground.
If confirmed, the news could be devastating fir southern African nation’s economy, which is counting on its diamonds to boost its weak economy, hurt by years of mismanagement and corruption.
Zimbabwe ranks today among the world’s top 10 diamond producers, with the government holding a 50% interest in most of the Marange mining operations.
Diamond miners claim they have neither the expertise nor the resources to they have neither the expertise nor the resources to search for deposits underground.
Since their discovery in 2006, the country’s alluvial diamond deposits have been heavily extracted, providing generous revenues to miners and the government. But as the resource is depleting, revenue has begin to decline.
The director of Anjin Investments, one of the seven companies licensed to mine diamonds in Chiadzwa, told the paper its firm is operating at below break-even point.
“Our ore is much deeper to depths of about 40 metres and some of the areas we have had to abandon mining because it was no longer commercially viable,” he said.
The Marange diamond fields, 400 km east of the capital Harare, have been a focus of controversy since 20,000 small-scale miners invaded the area in 2008, being removed later by soldiers and police.
Human rights groups say up to 200 people were killed during the process, charges denied by the previous coalition government formed by President Robert Mugabe and long-time opponent Morgan Tsvangirai.
COMMENTS
Maiti its number now its number kkkkkkkkkkkk confused lot.
With the 51% local ownership policy, there won’t be investors willing to come and invest in order to reach the diamonds that are deeper than the local operators can reach. Mugabe wenyu uyuka?
Even if diamond mining stopped today, who cares? What difference would that bring to the country? Nothing. In fact the majority of zimbabweans would celebrate.
Totally agree. What had it helped us? Just enriched a few. Mugabe unwilling to reign in the massive corruption there.
But then again. Should we not doubt for our birthright? Shall we leave it to the vultures and just be silent. We shall never be silenced.
Asijiki
They looted and destroyed thousands of lives and no they leave behind a damaged environment who cares mubocha hasi munhu.
They looted and destroyed thousands of lives and now they leave behind a damaged environment who cares mubocha hasi munhu.
Where is China and it’s expertise?
Mazimbavha, they dont care, must forced to mine at Gunpoint. Adzokera kwaakabva……masvikiro ema bocha atsamwa
The miners are showing that they are not there for serious business but to reap quick profits and leave the space, in a makorokoza-style. Diamonds are not normally found as alluvial deposits but embedded in hard rock and it’s surprising that these people do not have the expertise or the resources for deeper, underground mining and seem not prepared to go that far.
The chinese will soon be blasting the rock into manageble sizes and sending them to china for processing.wait and see.
pamberi mberi neZhinga zhenge man kkkkkkk maiti zvinosvika kupi anhuwe kkkkkk
Greed! Greed! Greed! “The day will come when you will throw your silver and gold into the street because it will not save you.”
We need to fight for fresh, free and fair elections supervised by the UN to return to legitimacy. That is the only route we have to get our country back. No one will invest in a country run by a corrupt elite as we have seen in the last 33 years. Regardless who wins in a fair contest will be accepted by Zimbabweans and the rest of the world.
Did no one ever stop and think why De Beers never developed this mine? Rather they went head over heels to call them names. Obviously they did their research properly. Zim government after they took the mine from the claim holder then sold it on for their due and the new buyers jumped in greedily with out due diligence. The figures the miners were to have invested in infrastructures at these claims was supposedly 2 billion, I think much of this was in commissions as the equipment and fences they have are minimal. Alluvial mining is never deep and often short lived, hopefully this government will be the same.
They milked the cow without feeding it. They should have invested in plant and equipment and human resources.
Ini muBocha mwiiii kunyarara, ndeee kutarisa.
Chisingaperi chinoshura tafanana kuvhaira toomuch.
ZVINO AMAMA BOB.ALL HOLES OF LOOTING ARE CLOSING DOWN ON HIM.HE MUST KNOW THAT HE IS NO LONGER FIGHTING HUMAN BEINGS BUT THE ALMIGHTY HIMSELF AND HE WILL SENTENCE BOB TO HIS OWN HELL WITH DEMONS. I WISH THE WORST FOR THAT OLD MAN.
Do not blame the miners blame those who gave them licences to mine.This is our look east policy not anywhere else.Where is EMA to enforce the environment laws instead of telling us to have small litter bins in our vehicles which would endanger us in case of an accident.Why should they invest on expensive machinery if the contracts were loosely made to benefit them not the poor villages?We are a nation which does not want to take advice from others because we know it all.This was a Godly given chance for the villages to better their lives,instead foreigners have enriched themselves.The government could have fenced the place and allowed the villagers to do the mining and then sell all the diamonds to it.In this way our government could account for all the diamonds and the funds raised.
2018 will sort all this mess out! With Mugarbage gone, Morgan in, we won’t have to Cry our Beloved Country, any longer……..
Tell me has chiangwa or Mugabe given an money towards malaria control. Have they paid taxes. What happened to the diamond money. My god why does munangawa have so many cars.