A South African company involved in mining diamonds in Chiadzwa is under pressure to reveal details about its operations, as its activities at the controversial site remain shrouded in secrecy. The New Reclamation Group, through its subsidiary Grandwell Holdings, entered into a joint venture with the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) to form Mbada Diamonds.
The Mbada group, together with the ZMDCs other partner firm, Canadile Mining, took over the site from London based African Consolidated Resources (ACR), who were kicked off the site at gunpoint in 2006.
Since then, the groups have been implicated in ongoing smuggling operations and human rights abuses, and there have been no attempts to clarify their operations.
But two South African rights groups and three Zimbabwean citizens from the Chiadzwa area have now petitioned the New Reclamation Group to shed much needed light on its controversial mining operations.
The petition was made by the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC), in partnership with the Open Society Justice Initiative, on behalf of the Southern Africa Resource Watch group (SARW) and the three affected community members.
SALC Director, Nicole Fritz, told SW Radio Africa last Wednesday that the New Reclamation Group needs to provide clear details about its activities in Chiadzwa, because of the abuses still being reported there.
She expressed concern that there is still a legal dispute with ACR over ownership of the claim that Mbada is mining, with Mbada and Canadile both ignoring court orders to stop their activities until the legal battle ended.
Fritz also added that there needs to be clarification on reports that Mbada has direct links to Zimbabwes military chiefs, which she said is of much concern as elections in Zimbabwe are around the corner.
There is a widespread belief that the Chiadzwa diamonds are funding a Zanu (PF) election war chest, as well as providing Zimbabwes old elite with a new source of illicit wealth, said Fritz. New Reclamation Group can help end the speculation by providing us with this information, and by agreeing to be more transparent and accountable in future.
The petition is being done in terms of South Africas Promotion of Access to Information Act, which allows for information to be requested from private bodies, where the information is required for the enforcement or protection of a right. SARW and the three petitioners are seeking the information based on the right of freedom of expression and the right to sustainable development and a healthy environment.
The petition asks New Reclamation group to reveal detailed information, including documents relating to the assurances by New Reclamation to its investors that its activities in Zimbabwe are to the benefit of all Zimbabweans.
Fritz explained that there also need to be details provided that prove the groups other claims, including claims that it paid communities who were forced to relocate, and that social projects such as schools and hospitals would be constructed in the area.
SW Radio Africa understands that none of these claims are true, with sources saying that Chiadzwa villagers remain all but forgotten after being forced to relocate. It is further understood that no new facilities have been constructed to help villagers in the area, despite promises that the diamonds would be a benefit to all Zimbabweans.
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