In the midst of excitement, people from all corners of the country flooded Chiadzwa and Marange diamond fields to try and make a living. Foreigners could not be left out in the trepidation as they saw an opportunity to amass wealth. Faced with disorder and chaos in the fields, trigger-happy and overzealous state security agents moved in, mercilessly butchering innocent and vulnerable villagers desperately in search of livelihood. Apparently, the locals could no longer access the diamond areas as the deployed security officers went on a looting rampage creating syndicates only for their selfish and political gains. Though government reports and company spokespersons’ deny these allegations as inaccurate and untrue, evidence is abound and have been recorded by civic societies monitoring the process.
Three to four years down the lane Manicaland is still in its old state if not worse off. Locals have since been forcefully evacuated without adequate compensation to Arda Transau farm detaching them from what is rightfully their birth right. The trillion dollar question remains, what exactly is development and economic justice when the supposed beneficiaries are turned into biggest losers?
Is it not an open secret that numerous syndicates linking government officials and China’s are plundering what should benefit the majority of Zimbabweans? With each passing day thousands of gems and carats are disappearing and being looted out of the country by known economic barons for their personal aggrandisement. We know very well how Obert Mpofu’s life has suddenly changed the moment he was appointment Minister of Mines in 2008. He is not alone in this game as many Zanu PF party heavy weights are linked in this mafia style syndicates. No one has ever taken a minute to ponder what is left for the young people who are the future of this country? A case in point is the well recorded clash between Finance Minister Tendai Biti and a minister of Mines and Mining Development Obert Mpofu over the whereabouts of US$ 300 million proceeds from diamond sales. This episode is evidence that the precious stone in Manicaland is not being managed with transparency and neither is there accountability.
The behaviour by the resident Governor of Manicaland Christopher Mushohwe has also triggered concern. Whilst the expectation was that he would stand on the side of the people, the reality is that he has chosen to respect his belly.Mbada Diamonds, Canadile and other Chinese Investors operating in Chiadzwa and Marange are doing very little to service the communities in which they are doing business. The companies are at the forefront setting up dogs in a spirited effort to drown the voices of the poor villagers. People are literally starving, and company handouts of foodstuffs and exercise books are far away from justifying the millions of profits they are reaping from diamond sales each day.
The problem with Chiadzwa and Marange companies is taking precedence at Chisumbanje Ethanol Project where employment has been awarded to foreigners and outsiders at the expense of locals. This is clearly impoverishing Manicaland province which houses the minerals and projects but failing to improve her fortunes in practical terms. In Chisumbanje, the company management talks of employing six thousand locals, figures that only exists in the press. One wonders why our government fails to challenge this mischief against the peace loving people of Manicaland.Young people are getting irritated and impatient for being taken for granted by such unthankful foreign investors.
After the discovery of the minerals, it was predicted that Manicaland was poised for development only to discover that the actual diamond business was the privilege of Harare where the processing and trading is now being done. The building of the diamond processing in Harare is clear indicator that people of Manicaland are being taken for granted. Who can explain why the processing is not being done in Mutare or Chipinge. This decision flies in the face of decentralisation and economic sense.
In conclusion, it has become apparent that diamonds in Marange has failed to make economic impact in the Manicaland province despite Zimbabwe being ranked among the top seven diamond producing nations in the world. Zimbabwe now joins nations like Angola, Sierra Leone and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where the discovery of diamond only attracted disastrous conflict as opposed to economic development.
Information and Communications Dept
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