Sino-Zimbabwe lays off workers

mining area may not have meaningful resources to operate a viable mine.

The company is among five companies licensed to operate in Chiadzwa diamond fields in Manicaland and has been conducting exploration exercises.
Sources said the results from exploration have proven that the claims may not have meaningful resources to justify huge investment.

“There are concerns that the claims might not have enough resources and the company has temporarily suspended operations,” said one worker who did not want to be named.
Deputy Mine and Mining Development Gift Chimanikire confirmed the development last week saying they were now waiting for a detailed report.

“I had a meeting with the permanent secretary and he told me that a number of Sino-Zimbabwe workers had been laid off as a result of the reasons that you are referring to,” said Mr Chimanikire.
“We are now waiting for a detailed report from our geology department.”

Sino-Zimbabwe is a joint venture between China and the Government through the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation.
No comment could be obtained from ZMDC chairman Mr Godwills Masimirembwa.

Sino-Zim, alongside Mbada Diamonds, Marange Mineral Resources, Pure Diamonds and Anjin are the five companies licensed to mine at the Chiadzwa diamond fields.
Two miners – Marange Resources and Mbada Diamonds – are already exporting.

Anjin has so far extracted over a million carats of rough diamonds and now awaits the Kimberley Process certification to start exporting.
Meanwhile, Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu and Gift Chimanikire have claimed De Beers looted diamonds from Marange but never declared their value to the State when it held prospecting rights for the alluvial field for the past decade. De Beers has claimed in the past that it found no diamonds in Marange.

According to reports, Mr Chimanikire said Government would take De Beers to court if the report confirms suspicions based on an earlier report.
Minister Mpofu has maintained that it was common knowledge in the diamond market that rough stones from Marange were being sold even before the Government revoked a concession held by African Consolidated Resources.

Zimbabwe has so far exported diamonds worth about US$174 million under the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.