Tabled by the Zimbabwe Investment Authority (ZIA), the document was quickly removed from display after this reporter starting asking questions about its origin and authenticity. The Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe (COMZ) and the Minerals Marketing Corporation (MMCZ) have both denied involvement in drafting the document. “This information was not prepared by us, a senior COMZ official said, while the MMCZ – cited as having helped produced the document – was also quick to disassociate itself.
The ZIA claimed it was joined by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, COMZ and the MMCZ in drawing up the now controversial and embarrassing document – a copy of which is in our possession. “Who told you to come here?” asked an information officer at the impressive ZIA stand in the lobby of the conference centre.
“If you think the information is not correct then you must tell our bosses and not scare away investors. You are trying to tarnish the country’s image,” accused the officer.
When The Zimbabwean visited the stand later during the day, the document had disappeared from the display. It paints a rosy picture of Zimbabwe’s impressive mineral wealth and has been widely circulated abroad and made available at the countrys 33 embassies around the world. Most of the information in the document is false. It claims that Zimbabwe has13 million tonnes of gold, 2.8 billion tonnes of platinum, 930 million tonnes of chromite and 4.5 million tonnes of nickel.
It further claims that Zimbabwe has 26 billion tonnes of coal, a staggering 16.5 million “tonnes” of diamonds, 30 billion tonnes of iron ore, 5.2 million tonnes of copper and the largest known reserves of methane in southern Africa. “One can only wonder where the ZIA get their information from considering that the Geological Department at the University of Zimbabwe is in tatters and has not been able to put geologists in the field for years,” said one observer.
“Diamonds are not measured in tonnes! This all points to the document being a load of hogwash intended to baffle investors.”
The four-page full colour glossy A3 Document claims that cash-strapped Zimbabwe has a staggering 16.5 million tonnes of diamonds in the Chiadzwa area in Manicaland Province, at Murowa and at the controversial River Ranch where former Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) supremo, Solomon Mujuru, has a huge stake.
Post published in: News