Zimbabwe’s political and military leadership is closely tied to the companies mining the Marange fields and, through the continued use of violence, is accumulating personal wealth, according to a report by Global Witness.
The NGO further accuse the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) for failing to effectively address the issues related to Zimbabwe.
“Over the past three years, the national army has visited appalling abuses on civilians in Marange’s diamond fields,” said Global Witness campaigner Elly Harrowell. “Nobody has been held to account for these crimes, and now it turns out that the joint venture companies nominally brought in to improve conditions are directly linked to the [ruling] Zanu PF and military elite. Thanks to the impunity and violence in Zimbabwe, blood diamonds are back on the international market,” he accused.
The Global Witness report describes the role played by Minister of Mines Obert Mpofu, accused of blocking oversight of the joint venture mining companies, Canadile Miners and Mbada Diamonds.
Mpofu allegedly appointed allies as board members. Mbada Diamonds is chaired, for example, by Robert Mhlanga, former Air Vice-Marshal and prosecution witness at Morgan Tsvangirai’s treason trial, the NGO said.
NGOs are raising the Zimbabwe issue just ten days before the KP is scheduled to meet in Israel to discuss, among other things, the possibility of allowing the export of diamonds from the Marange fields.
NGO Partnership Africa Canada also released a report, examining the political economy of the diamond industry in Zimbabwe.
“The investment deals have been done with scant regard for legal process against a background of violence and intimidation, and are dangerously lacking in transparency. This leaves the door wide open for state looting and corruption, and raises the very real possibility of internationally certified diamonds financing renewed political violence in Zimbabwe,” said Harrowell.
Instead of suspending Zimbabwe, members of the Process have settled on a weak compromise agreement, repeatedly breached by Zimbabwean authorities, Global Witness accused.
Global Witness is calling to suspend Zimbabwe from the KPCS until it can prove its diamonds are not bankrolling violence. This should include an immediate withdrawal of the army from the diamond fields. The NGO is further demanding to suspend the introduction of new investors into Marange until the legality of current joint ventures can be established, and effective oversight implemented.
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