via SABC News.com – Zimbabwe to enforce stronger oversight in diamond mining:Monday 31 March 2014 Monday 31 March 2014 by Shingai Nyoka
Zimbabwe is to enforce stronger local oversight over the diamond mining sector under a proposed new management regime.
There are currently six entities operating in eastern Zimbabwe’s Chiadzwa diamond fields and four are jointly owned by foreign companies. The country’s mine minister is proposing a raft of measures to consolidate operations, chief among them, ensuring less foreign control.
Five years after the military cleared out thousands of illegal miners to restore order, killing some and sparking international outrage, mining operations at Chiadzwa Diamond Fields are being reconstituted again.
A Chinese, Lebanese and South African company are among the entities mining alluvial diamonds in partnership with the state. But up until now, they had control of the administration and management of the operations.
Zimbabwe Mines Minister Walter Chidhakwa, says: “We have been discussing some scenarios where we create one entity and everybody buys shares if they wish. But because they have not run things as well as we wish they should have run them, we want to have a strong management impact on the companies. We will not leave it to the foreigners to run it.”
Zimbabwe accuses mines of opaque dealings
However, Zimbabwe accuses mines of opaque dealings. It believes the contribution of revenue to the state coffers should be greater, given the diamond grades and rate of mining.
Zimbabwe says the focus of the next phase will be underground mining. This, as at least one company says, its alluvial concessions are running out.
Chidhakwa says he will appoint a board of directors.
“I am trying to put together a board of directors which will put in place a team and we have these companies from day one…then we can start negotiating with the others.”
Mbada Diamonds, a company co-owned by South Africans, did not respond to enquiries.
Zimbabwe still struggles to balance the expectations of big business and a population waiting for the impact of gems to change their lives.
COMMENTS
This is bolting the cage after theft
If you want improvement at these mines get external board of directors with a non-ambiguous mandate for about 12 months,you will be shocked of the results and you will see marked diamonds outputs and revenues.
Yesterday’s news where difficult to believe b’coz it was fool’s day if true, I can’t believe a police officer reporting me for failing to pa a promised bribe.
The other thing I have noticed with Zimbas havabatsirike. I even remember when we lost Va Chitepo kuhondo the internal leaders most of them if not all of them refused to go and lead the war in Moza. The reason was they where educated and they had businesses. When you raise your hand to suggest someone the respond you get was uri kuda kuurayisa munhu. That’s why we ended up with a school teacher, Mugabe and Tekere had to volunteer to go and lead the war if you remember the war stopped after Chitepo’s death. Mugabe is my hero.
My modern hero is Tsvangirai. We have technocrats and the country is burning, they all bury their heads. A tea boy with nothing to lose comes with all the brave to lead them. Now the project has flourished they want him out, disgusting. If it was not for the technocrats he would have been a president by now, if they where not jealous. Even if you look at their comments now they want to bring him down, instead of everyone rallying behind. Some of those technocrats are forming their own parties showing their stupidity. Its easier to wrestle the country from the current hands and then sort the other problems later. Some of the technocrats have ran away. Tipeivo maserious maZimba. Some of the comments we read are jealous ones compared to constructive. As long as you are like this its suffer continue. I don’t normally comment but the extend of the stupidity has forced me to send this comment. Ndatenda zvakwamuri kufuga kana kuvarira.
This what has been happened at the mines . I do not think there is any other way of paying an oversight role than what we have at the moment.My belief is pilferage is not at the mines or the product but the cartels.If the minister is ready to dig deeper into Mbada he will surely come up with these cartels .Mbada is not being honest
With zanu in power nothing will happen. This was a press issue for the SA public,to make them think something is being done.
hogwash