Government plans to seal off new Bikita diamond fields

Government plans to seal off newly discovered diamond fields in Masvingo province's Bikita district to halt illegal mining of the precious stones, Mines minister Obert Mpofu has said.

Mpofu said government had decided to control access to the area to avoid a repeat of Marange diamond fields free-for-all where thousands of people descended on Chiadzwa to illegally mine diamonds before security forces brutally moved in to stop the chaos.