Be transparent, President urges diamond company

Trust of Zimbabwe and a Russian company – All Russian Foreign Economic Association on Geological Prospecting – saying their operations lacked transparency.
President Mugabe was responding to complaints raised by some chiefs in Manicaland during a meeting held at Marymount Teachers’ College recently.

Traditional leaders, especially from Chimanimani complained that their subjects were not getting any benefits from the mining operations of DTZ- Ozego in their area and the country at large.
In response, President Mugabe said no real revenue had been realised from DTZ-Ozego operations and said he even met with the company’s leadership last December where he told them to be transparent.

“We were told that DTZ and their Russian counterparts are mining gold in Chimanimani and now it is diamonds. DTZ is a party company, which we joined with the late Dr Nkomo to form. It was initially given the control of the Nuanetsi Ranch in Masvingo and had a lot of cattle there. The company is still in charge of the ranch.

“The company having joined hands with the Russians later approached us saying they wanted to mine gold in Mutare and we gave them the go-ahead. They later moved to Chimanimani.
“We have not realised any real revenue coming from them and they are saying they are having some difficulties,” said President Mugabe.

He said everyone should benefit from the company’s mining activities.
“I talked to some of the directors during our December People’s Conference here in Mutare and I told them that they were remaining too much in isolation and why don’t they became transparent. We will pursue the matter because we want to know what they are doing.

“We want our people, especially our children to benefit through this company,” said President Mugabe.
Residents of Penhalonga have also been complaining of environmental degradation in their area since DTZ-Ozego moved in to mine gold.

They are also bitter that no meaningful development was taking place in the area despite the vast gold deposits.
President Mugabe also said locals in areas with plantations should also benefit from them through partnership with existing companies.

He also encouraged people to venture into cutting and polishing of diamonds being mined at the Chiadzwa area.
“There is nothing wrong in having indigenous companies cutting and polishing diamonds in Mutare. Diamonds are our resources and people here should also benefit from them.”

President Mugabe promised to look into the welfare of chiefs and ensure that it was improved.
The chiefs also called on Zanu-PF to stop imposing candidates during elections, saying this had caused the party’s dismal performance in Manicaland during the 2008 harmonised elections.

“We heard some of our party cadres are becoming too big-headed and looking down upon chiefs. Some are imposing themselves on the people, but as a party we always remind each other to respect our elders.
“The issue of imposition of candidates also emerged during our December conference and we have a resolution on that,” he said.

Speaking at the same occasion, the Minister of Local Government, Urban and Rural Development, Dr Ignatius Chombo, said chiefs moving away from their traditional places to resettlement areas should not take their powers with them to these new areas.

“When you are resettled somewhere else, you are not resettled with your offices from your previous locations. Chiefs should remain where they are until issues of boundaries have been resolved. We expect this issue to be solved by the end of this year.

“In resettlement areas there should be traditional leaders and we are looking into it,” he said.

The Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Cde Didymus Mutasa, said traditional leaders without land should approach the provincial land committee, which would look into the matter and address it as a matter of priority.

The meeting was also attended by the Zanu-PF women’s league chairperson, Cde Oppah Muchinguri, the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Dr Joseph Made, Cde Abigail Damasane, Cde Monica Mutsvangwa, Manicaland provincial chairman, Cde Mike Madiro and other senior Zanu-PF officials.