Marange: world’s largest diamond producer? | The Zimbabwean by Paul Zimnisky
This contrasts with other large-scale diamond projects where commercial open-pit and underground mines require advanced engineering and heavy equipment costing billions of dollars to build and operate. Alluvial diamond projects tend to have a much shorter life span than open-pit or underground projects, as the resource is limited to the easily assessable surface stones.
While Marange is a relatively new project with formal mining only commencing five years ago, there are already indications that most of economic resource has been depleted. The diamond fields are operated under the government-affiliated Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation, which has partnership agreements with seven private entities most of which are affiliated with Zimbabwe ex-military or political officials.
Production plummets
Since mining under ZMDC officially commenced in 2008, the surface resource base has significantly declined resulting in a lower production grade requiring miners to move more or deeper tonnage to maintain current production levels. Mining deeper conglomerate rock requires more advanced equipment, and some of the Marange companies are reluctant to put forth the capital expenditure necessary to procure the needed equipment.
Some companies claim that upgrading equipment is not economically viable given that Marange diamonds are among the world’s least valuable on a per carat basis. In addition to being relatively small, lower quality rough Marange diamonds trade at a discount on the world market because the united States, the largest diamond buyer in the world, does not allow importation because of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. The European Union, home to the largest diamond trade hub in the world, only recently lifted restrictions imposed in 2008 for the same reason.
During the chaotic transition period in 2006 when the ZMDC forcefully took control of the diamond fields from MDC, a lawless diamond rush erupted resulting in 200 deaths as 35,000 locals were forcefully removed from the fields by the military.
Physical attacks
There have been numerous additional documented reports of physical attacks and detentions by security officials working for ZMDC and the mining companies against local people accused of illegal artisanal mining.
Given the harsh socio economic challenges of the country, a significant amount of the illegal mining can be explained by people acting out of people from the diamond area, resulting in loss of food sources and shelter as promised accommodations were not adequately provided.Marange has been littered with cases of corrupt operating partners and government officials accepting bribes resulting in unscrupulous politics and tax evasion. The Zimbabwe Finance minister has stated that the Treasury has not yet received any tax revenue from Marange operations in 2013. In 2012, the finance minister was forced to cut the country’s national budget from $4 billion to $3.4 billion after $600 million of expected diamond tax revenue was never received.
The Kimberly process (KP), a United Nations-backed system that was enacted in 2003 aimed at halting the global trade of rough diamonds tied to violence, has not been as effective as hoped in Zimbabwe. The governments participating in the KP distribute rough diamond passports only to miners in their country that follow the principles of the KP, theoretically banning the export rough diamonds linked to violence.
Dishonoured
Global Witness, a human rights group and a founding participant of the KP, resigned in 2011 because it said some governments, including Zimbabwe, have “dishonoured, breached and exploited the system without bearing any consequential penalties.” Even with KP parameters set, participating countries need to band together and uphold the standards of the organisation.
International confusion with the KP’s stance on Marange diamonds, which was revoked in 2009 and then reestablished in 2011, has allowed some Zimbabweans to export Marange diamonds without consequences. The primary buyers of the rough diamonds have been companies operating in China, India, and South Africa that process and then mix Marange diamonds with diamonds sourced elsewhere, essentially making Marange diamonds indistinguishable from the rest of their inventory. There is speculation that most polished Marange diamonds end up in Dubai, UAE, and infiltrate the West from there.
Last September Belgian and diamond industry officials successfully lobbied the EU to lift sanctions on ZMDC diamonds claiming that trading these diamonds would help lift Zimbabweans out of poverty and encourage transparency.
The first EU Marange auction took place in Antwerp in December and fetched $10 million for 300,000 carats, working out to a price of just over $30 per-carat on average. A second auction took place last week where another 300,000 carats were sold. Relative to the worlds other large-scale diamond projects, Marange diamonds tend to be lower in quality, with a large percentage of the output only fit for industrial use.
Tarnished image
The tarnished image of Marange diamonds and the restricted distribution system that comes along with that further reduces their value by as much as 25%. The average price per carat of a Marange diamond is $20-$45 per carat, while the global average price-per-carat of a mined diamond is around $100, according to KP.
The Marange fields are economic even with a low average price-per-carat diamond because the alluvial mining process is relatively inexpensive; in 2011 the ZMDC estimated that the average cost of production of a Marange diamond was $19-30 per carat, while the global average is around $65 per carat. But once all the easily accessible surface diamonds have been claimed, the project may no longer be economic.
Companies operating in Marange recently began publically expressing concern that the surface economic resource base was rapidly depleting, requesting fresh mining claims. The ZMDC has vowed to not issue new claims to companies unwilling to make capital investment in equipment needed to mine at depth.
This ultimatum should result in the ultimate test as to whether Marange diamonds can be profitably mined in deeper conglomerate rock. If not, the remaining life of Marange’s world-class production could be relatively short.
Companies operating in Marange
As of January 2014
Anjin Investments Ltd
50%: Matt Bronze Ltd – A company principally controlled by senior Zimbabwean military official Charles Tarumbwa
50%: Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Group – a Chinese-based construction company
Diamond Mining Company
50%: Zimbabwe Mining Development Company
50% : Consortium of Investors from Dubai, UAE
Gye Nyame Resources
50%: ZMDC
24% Bill Minerals – a Ghana-based company owned by William Essien
20%: Zimbabwe Republic Police Trust
6%: Dantor – a private company owned by Zimbabweans Itai Munyeza and Blessmore Chanakira
Jinan Mining Ltd
A Chinese-based company that has an unspecified joint venture with ZMDC
Kusena Diamonds
A company allegedly affiliated with Sino-Zimbabwe, a cement company comprised of a joint venture between two Chinese entities and a Zimbabwe government-run industrial development company.
Marange Resosurces
100%: ZMDC
Mbada Diamonds
50%: Marange Resources – a wholly-owned subsidiary of ZMDC
50%: Grandwell Holdings – a Mauritius-registered company affiliated with New Reclamation Group, a South African scrap metal company, controlled by Robert Mhlanga, a retired Zimbabwean Air Vice Marshal and former personal pilot to President Robert Mugabe.
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COMMENTS
Nothing to celebrate over. The people are not benefiting. I have seen how the offshore gas fields have benefited Thais. Most cars are fitted with gas tanks. Even ariculated trucks use gas. Half the boot of a tax is occupied by a gas cylinder. For a standard 1600 motor, you can do 375 km on $30 of gas. Transportation of goods becomes cheap,so the prize of food is low.Everyone benefits. Why I bring this issue, if the diamond’s money was used to subsidise the fuel bill, every one would benefit. With corruption out of the equation obviously.
Murimi will continue to rely on what comes from his fields and not fancy figures from a place that seems far far away.
Collectively the Marange diamond mining companies are owned by BOB INCORPORATED and nobody gets there to mine without his personal approval.Whatever happened to his statement that local black graduate engineers/geologists should band together to form companies to mine these deposits in partnership with ZMDC.More Zanu hogwash against indigenous Zimbabweans.A criminal injustice against his own people in favour of those that stash money abroad for a select elite in personal accounts.Give the poor guys at Airzims an “investigative break”;just minnows!
There are very few countries in the world where a national resource could be so completely captured by a clique.
There is a Lebanese cartel who control the sales. Low quality stones are put on offer and bought at knock down prices, the goods are switched for export for the high grade material and the difference in price is paid overseas. This under the watchful eye of Bob Inc. Nothing trickles back to Zimbabwe. It is theft on a grand scale and reaches the highest levels of government with blessing from the AU. One wonders why Africa is a basket case of poverty??
Yet another opportunity for the citizens stolen by their leaders.
When are the people of Zimbabwe actually going to get up off their complacent, timid backsides and show this government they will not tolerate this blatant corruption and demand a better country!!?? – Just common thieves.
Few people have tried, but with out support of others its a splash in the ocean.
Lies. Where are the records?
The army and police should not go into business. They should concentrate on their repective constitutional duties in terms of the relevant Acts of parliament
Also biggest in LOOTING.
Shining On – Our Beautiful Diamonds:
1. Leadership & Ownership- There is nothing wrong with a govt directing how state resources are utilised in its own country. Others may comment and suggest but they will never get the right to rule or direct the nation.
2. Depletion of Resources: Even if the diamonds are depleted, it should not worry outsiders and/or un-elected commentators. Wait your turn to rule if you are so inclined and the people decide to give you the mandate. We will discover other minerals/resources to fund the nation- so why worry about depletion. Akadepleta ndeedu- itsisti dzei tsvimborume kubvisa mwana wemvana madzihwa?
3. Moving on with RGM and ZPF: Let the nation which is only a mere 34 years old develop in its own way with its elected leaders. It should be allowed to make and/or correct its own mistakes- unhelped and unhindered. Other older countries are doing the same- we shall overcome. Those Zimbos who feel led to lead must enter the political beauty contest and convince voters to annoint them in 2018.
Together as one we shall ever improve!