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diamonds.
Secretary for Mines and Mining Development Mr Prince Mupazviriwo yesterday confirmed the sale.
“. . . the response from the buyers was pleasing. The buyers were from various countries in the world. It’s a positive move especially after having complied with the KPSC requirements,” he said.
Mr Mupazviriwo declined to disclose more details of the auction, but reports say it could not be finalised yesterday due to the large number of bidders and the amount of the gems.
Indications were that bidding will continue today.
The company is among five firms which the Government licensed to partner locals in the mining of alluvial diamonds in Marange.
Anjin has invested close to US$310 million in setting up opencast mining operations in Marange.
Meanwhile, Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu, yesterday said Zimbabwe was not surprised by Global Witness’ decision to pull out of the KP as the non governmental organisation was thriving on peddling falsehoods to the world on the Marange diamonds.
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Global Witness yesterday said it was quitting the KP, accusing it of failing to prevent trade in Marange diamonds.
“The scheme has failed three tests: it failed to deal with the trade in conflict diamonds from Côte d’Ivoire, was unwilling to take serious action in the face of blatant breaches of the rules over a number of years by Venezuela and has proved unwilling to stop diamonds fuelling corruption and violence in Zimbabwe,” said a Global Witness director Mr Charmian Gooch.
Mr Gooch urged diamond consumers not to buy the Marange gems while demanding the cancellation and retendering of all existing contracts at Chiadzwa.
Minister Mpofu said it was clear that the Global Witness was indulging in politics and the issues the organisation was raising had no bearing on KP requirements and operations.
“We are not surprised by this move by the Global Witness. They survived on opposing the trading of Zimbabweans diamonds on the international market.
“Now that Zimbabwe has been fully admitted on the international market, they have no work to do. These are the same people who were demanding that we give them one percent as protection fees from the sale of our Marange diamonds and we resisted that,” Minister Mpofu said.
Online Reporter