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Harare Bureau
Government wants only one company to mine diamonds in Chiadzwa as it takes practical steps to improve accountability and transparency in the sector.The State is already auditing the seven companies mining diamonds in the Chiadzwa fields as a first step to rationalising operations.
The audits will cover miners’ operations from the time they first set up shop. The seven companies in Chiadzwa are Mbada Diamonds, Marange Resources, Anjin Investments, Diamond Mining Company, Jinan, Kusena and Gye Nyame. They operate as joint ventures with, or are in one instance wholly-owned by Government through the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation.
Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa told the National Assembly on Thursday, “Firstly, we will look at a particular company and demand information on the quantities of diamonds they have been taking from the country and secondly how much they have been sold for.
“We need to know that as a country. What we want to do is to cut down on these other companies and identify a company which will work in conjunction with the Government so that we do not have these small companies working on our diamonds. This will take time.
“It is not an event but a process.”
Minister Chinamasa said his Mines and Mining Development counterpart, Walter Chidhakwa, had made it clear that he was looking into the operations of diamond mining companies and would come up with a report on his findings.
President Mugabe has already expressed concern with the below par contributions mining is making to the national economy and he wants the sector rationalised and better controlled to ensure revenues from the sector benefits the entire country.
President Mugabe made the remarks at the 14th Annual National People’s Conference last month in Chinhoyi.
Londile Moyo
Bongani Ndlovu