Zimbabwe is facing serious economic meltdown and
yet the country continues to lose billions of dollars through mismanagement and
corruption, notably of diamond revenue. The Zanu PF regime has promised to end
the looting of diamonds and still the rot continues!
Throughout his tenure as Minister of Finance 2009
to 2013, Tendai Biti, complained that the nations was losing millions of
dollars in unpaid tax revenue from the diamond mining operations in Marange and
Chiadzwa. Ever since the discovery of diamonds in this area in 2006 chaos and intrigue
have been the order of the day. First it was free for all with hundreds of men,
women and children siftings through the spoil of an open pit several metres
deep without a thought on their safety. A scene reminiscent of the gold mining
in Zorro Movies!
The Police and Army moved and forcefully removed
all small scale operators but not to restore order but to secure the mining concessions
for the ruling elite. Expert foreign know-how in mining alluvial diamonds was
brought in on the back of carefully selected local partners. The partners kept
no official records of the quantity, quality and therefore true value of their
bounty, so they shared the proceed without paying any tax; which is what aggrieved
Minister Biti.
All attempts by individuals, NGOs and the GNU
parliament to get the blanket of secrecy that has always covered the diamond mining
industry in Marange and Chiadzwa have all come to naught. It is therefore not
surprising that corruption is this sector has become rampant. In 2012
Partnership Africa Canada reported that President Mugabe pocketed a cool $2
billion from his share of the looting and plunders of Marange diamonds. He has
gone on to use some of the money to finance his elaborate and expensive vote
rigging scheme the following year.
President Mugabe has himself confirmed just how
serious the looting in Marange has become when he acknowledge that $15 billion
in diamond revenue in the six year period 2010 to 2015 could not be accounted
for. Minister Kasukuwere has since said a large “chunk” of the $15 billion was
looted by Mai Mujuru and her late husband.
President Mugabe admitted to the looting of $15
billion in diamond revenue in March 2016 and up to date, six months later, not
even one single person has been arrested and charged for the theft. The country’s
health and education systems are in a real mess as a result of decades of poor
funding and yet billions are being wasted and, worse still, the regime
continues to do nothing about it!
Indeed, instead of tackling the rampant corruption
with the seriousness and urgency the matter demands the regime is even covering
up. A few months ago Minister Patrick Chinamasa was denying the $15 billion was
not looted it was a bookkeeping error arising from “mispricing”! Today he is
telling another tale!
"Cumulative diamond output for the first six
months of the year to June 2016 stood at 972 765 carats , with most firms
losing production time during the month of February when Government moved in at
Chiadzwa to consolidate the diamond sector," Chinamasa told legislators during
his mid-term fiscal policy review statement in parliament today.
"The relatively low output levels, against a
target of 6 million carats, is attributed to the lack of adequate capital on
the part of operating companies under ZCDC as well as reluctance by previous companies
to merge into the newly formed company.
"Furthermore, the country is losing out on
lost diamond production from the three concessions which are not yet
operational.”
Is Minister Chinamasa 100% sure of this? In layman
language; the looting in Marange and Chiadzwa is continuing unabated!
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