Chinese trucks are blocked at border post

BUSINESS at Forbes Border Post in Mutare nearly came to a standstill when at least 15 trucks loaded with equipment from a Chinese diamond mining company in Chiadzwa were blocked from entering Mozambique.

It was not clear which Chinese mining company was repatriating its equipment after government last year forcibly stopped diamond mining companies from operating in Chiadzwa to pave way for the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Mining Company (ZCDC), which has so far proved to be a huge disappointment.

Reports indicated that the equipment was either being moved to Mozambique or the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Sources at Forbes Border Post said the trucks were stopped by authorities at the point of exit.

Anjin, a joint venture with the Zimbabwe military, last year took government to court arguing the decision to evict the company from the Marange diamond fields was illegal and violated bilateral agreements between Zimbabwe and China.

The group contested the formation of ZCDC but that has not stopped government from moving in and pushing out all private diamond players.

Another Chinese company that had operations in Chiadzwa was Jinan.

Efforts to get comment from Immigration and Zimra officials were fruitless last night.

Mines minister Walter Chidhakwa was also not reachable.