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Cletus Mushanawani Mutare Bureau
ZIMBABWE Consolidated Diamond Company Private Limited has introduced unmanned aerial surveillance equipment such as drones as a way of boosting security at the diamond rich fields.
The development comes amid concerns of connivance between some rogue law enforcement agents manning the diamond fields and illegal panners who occasionally sneak and mine the diamonds.
Security concerns were also raised following the developments of last week when High Court judge, Justice David Mangota, ordered ZCDC to stop all mining operations until it was granted an Environmental Impact Assessment.
When all mining operations were stopped last year after the cancellation of mining licences of the seven companies that were operating at Chiadzwa, a free for all situation obtained.
The High Court order comes after ZCDC was dragged to court by community lobby group, Marange Development Trust (MDT), supported by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA).
MDT filed a court application in February this year seeking a court interdict to stop ZCDC from operating without an EIA as prescribed by law.
ZCDC chief executive officer, Dr Moris Mpofu, said: “ZCDC has put in place measures to ensure that access into the diamond fields is controlled and prevented.
“ZCDC has invested in an enhanced security framework through the introduction of unmanned aerial surveillance equipment such as drones, expanded CCTV framework, illuminating of the diamonds fields, purchasing of canines and armoured security vehicles.”
He added: “We have also increased security personnel through the recruitment of an additional 400 security guards. All the security institutions in Chiadzwa are on high alert.”
Commenting on last week’s High Court order for the company to stop operations until it obtains the Environmental Impact Assessment, Dr Mpofu said: “ZCDC respects the courts and has complied with the High Court ruling to stop mining operations at Chiadzwa.”
“ZCDC started operating in Marange in March 2016 and within the same year applied for its own EIA Certificate. ZCDC was in the final stages of obtaining an Environmental Impact Assessment Certificate from the Environmental Management Agency at the time the ruling was made.”
“The EIA Certificate application process started at the time of ZCDC’s inception in February 2016 and it has been unfortunate that the ruling was made before the certificate was issued.”
Dr Mpofu said they had also briefed their employees on the temporary setback caused by the High Court ruling.
“ZCDC’s business model considers community development and support as a major tenet for mining sustainability. The recent stoppage of mining operations through the High Court order is a temporary setback and should thus not be viewed to have a permanent effect on ZCDC’s mining operations.
“In that regard, ZCDC has put in place a dedicated budget for financing community projects,” said Dr Mpofu.
He said the company’s dividend policy also allocated a percentage of profits towards the Marange-Zimunya Community Share Ownership Trust.
Dr Mpofu said ZCDC was in the process of transitioning from an alluvial to a conglomerate based mining model.
“We are currently focusing on the necessary civil, mechanical and electrical construction works in preparation for conglomerate mining and processing.
“Conglomerate and Kimberlite mining and processing is the future for diamond mining in Zimbabwe,” he said.
“The recent developments (High Court ruling) have minimal disruption to the programme of works, therefore the effect on annual targets in general. Mitigatory measures are also in place to minimise the impact of the disruption to the operations, while the EIA certificate is being finalised,” added Dr Mpofu.
Online Reporter