JOHANNESBURG International trade watchdog Global Witness last Friday welcomed the cancellation of a planned diamond auction by Zimbabwes government but warned that the country must demonstrate commitment to clean up its diamond sector. “We are pleased that the auction has been suspended but disappointed that the Zimbabwean authorities did not communicate their plans in advance to KPCS (Kimberley Process Certification Scheme) bodies, said Global Witness diamond campaigner Annie Dunnebacke in a statement.
The UK-based Global Witness investigates and campaigns to prevent natural resource-related conflict and corruption.
The Zimbabwe government last Thursday blocked the sale of diamonds from the countrys Marange claims saying no germs from the controversial field could be sold without certification by the KPCS.
Mines Ministry permanent secretary Thankful Musukutwa told journalists in Harare that a partly state-owned firm mining diamonds at Marange had failed to follow proper procedure by calling the germ auction before relevant government departments including the police had been informed and before KPCS certification had been obtained.
“If rough diamonds from Marange had been exported from Zimbabwe without prior inspection by a Kimberley Process monitor, then Zimbabwe would have been in clear violation of the action plan they agreed to at the plenary session in November, Dunnebacke said.
We are deeply concerned at Zimbabwe’s complete lack of engagement with the Kimberley Process since last year’s plenary session. Their silence jeopardises the success of the action plan and the viability of a clean future for the Zimbabwean diamond industry.”
Mbada Investments, a joint-venture between the governments Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation and little-known South African company Core Mining, had planned to auction 300 000 carats of diamonds from Marange which is also know as Chiadzwa.
But Musukutwa said Mbada had erred by attempting to auction the diamonds without obtaining certification from the KP which regulates the world diamond trade.
He added that Harare agreed last November that all shipments from all production sites in the Marange field will be “subject to examination and certification by a KPCS monitor prior to export to ensure that the production and export of rough diamonds is compliant with the minimum standard of the KPCS”.
Post published in: Economy