The Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) and Chiadzwa Community Development Trust (CCDT) are deeply concerned that government is going ahead with merging Marange diamond companies without consulting key stakeholders.
The Marange communities stand to be severely affected by the decision.
Government has finally acknowledged that diamond mining companies in Marange have not been transparent. This means consolidating the same companies into one unit will not improve transparency since the same players will import their corrupt practices into the new entity, says a statement by the two NGOs.
During his first trip to Marange in December 2013, soon after his appointment, Mines Minister Walter Chidhakwa castigated the diamond firms for not contributing meaningfully to the development of Zimbabwe.
Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa has continued singing the same tune sung by his predecessor, Tendai Biti, that diamond revenues are not finding their way into treasury. Research by various international organsations, including Global Witness, Human Rights Watch and Partnership Africa Canada have also revealed that Marange diamonds have been subjected to organised crime involving senior government officials and syndicates domiciled in the East.
“Marange is a multi-billion dollar mining project that should have positively influenced the recovery of every facet of the Zimbabwean economy, including agriculture, manufacturing and service delivery, if managed properly,” says the statement. “Clearly government has nothing to show for Marange diamonds. The massive diamond fields, once touted as the biggest diamond find in a century, are fast becoming a monument of shame. But all hope is not lost. Something can still be salvaged on this eleventh hour.
“To ensure that the people of Zimbabwe benefit from Marange the following steps need to be taken urgently:
Stop all diamond mining activities and institute an independent Commission of Inquiry to establish what went wrong in Marange leading to the failure by the mining companies to remit. We lose absolutely nothing by keeping our diamonds in the ground whilst we plug the loopholes in the sector.
Embark on a multi-stakeholder consultative exercise to get views from stakeholders and experts on how to ensure Marange diamonds are properly accounted for. Government can’t just go it alone. The same opaqueness that characterised the licensing of the companies that looted Marange is prevalent in the on-going merger • Carry out a geological survey of the entire Marange and Chimanimani region to identify potential resource areas.
Seek technical advice from the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme and countries with tight internal controls in their diamond sectors. Botswana is a shining example of an African country whose professional governance of its diamond sector has won the approval of its own citizens.
Consult the KPCS on whether the proposed merger will affect Zimbabwe’s compliance with its minimum standards since Marange was subjected to a company specific certification criteria,” says the statement.
Post published in: Business