admin
Tichaona Zindoga
The miners are showing that they are not there for the long haul but to reap quick profits and leave the space, makorokoza-style. Reports that alluvial diamond deposits at Marange have run out and companies do not have the expertise or the resources for deeper, underground mining, make sad reading. But that is not the whole sad story; here are some of the unflattering details:
the mining companies now want to be given new concessions for alluvial mining;
there is now only comparatively “low grade” gems;
at one mine the remaining alluvial deposits “cannot last . . . for a long time”;
miners here have “fly-by night attitude”
Perhaps it is fortunate these things are coming out at this point in time, for it informs the nation of the huge problem Zimbabwe has on its hands. The problem can be dissected in at least three ways.
First, given the fact that diamonds have thus so far been considered a huge boon for Zimbabwe with a capacity to turn around the economy after the slumber of the agricultural sector, this should be worrying. There have been statistics that diamonds are capable of feeding the fiscus to the tune of between US$2 billion and US$4 billion; so what becomes of such expectations?
Maybe Zimbabwe should now be realistic about the contribution of the gems, which everyone from teachers and soldiers to college students expected a slice of. The newest economic blueprint in town, Zim Asset, is even predicated in part on the strength of the mineralised economy.
Second, and related to the above, how authentic are the miners in downplaying the worth and quantity of Zimbabwe’s gems? Can the claim that diamonds are running out be independently verified?
It is not out of order to surmise that the miners may be making claims as an excuse for their ineptitude and perhaps their reluctance to venture into more serious undertakings. There has been a very pertinent discussion on the State’s role in the exploration of minerals in the country. Without a functional and effective exploration body, Zimbabwe will never be able to quantify and qualify its mineral wealth.
Here is how one blogger puts this key process into Zimbabwe’s perspective: “The information concerning the nation’s mineral wealth that can be obtained by exploration will simultaneously attract foreign investment as well as strengthen the value of mines and claims already in indigenous hands. This shall set the necessary preconditions for egalitarian and indigenously driven growth in the mining industry.”
The writer explains that exploration is not only important at personal, business, local and national levels, but is also crucial for Zimbabwe’s international economic and geopolitical strength.
“Put simply, knowing the value of what lies beneath this nation’s feet increases the nation’s worth; increasing its worth subsequently increases its wealth and power.”
The third point in which one can dissect the Zimbabwe’s diamond problem is to look at the quality of the investors at Marange. If the guys cannot mine beyond 40 metres and have not brought enough and sophisticated equipment, what the hell are they doing there and what qualified them to be part of such onerous undertakings in the first place?
The miners seem to be taking the lustre out of Zimbabwe’s gems. It reminds one of the criticisms levelled against one of the companies that initially set out to mine at Marange; that it used to be a plastic recycling company with no experience in mining. To put it modestly, the miners at Marange by demanding more and more space to scratch the earth by way of alluvial mining are posing as no more than glorified panners. Where is the complexity? The miners are showing that they are not there for the long haul but to reap quick profits and leave the space, makorokoza-style. In light of the above, the whip of the Mines minister must be heard cracking, while a coherent, visionary and sustainable mining policy should be implemented immediately.
Online Reporter