CNRG condemns killing of artisanal miner in Chiadzwa, calls for urgent demilitarisation

The Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) has condemned the killing of Tafadzwa Chamatumba (66), an artisanal miner from Chief Marange, who allegedly died after being assaulted while in custody at Mashukashuka base in the Chiadzwa diamond fields on 7 February 2025.


In a statement, CNRG said it was appalled by the incident, describing it as part of a long‑standing pattern of violence, abuse and intimidation against artisanal miners in Marange. The organisation, which advocates for community rights and accountable natural‑resource governance, said details contained in a police memo dated 8 February 2026 point to excessive force, torture and a disregard for human dignity.

CNRG said the continued military presence in the Marange diamond fields has normalised violence and impunity, particularly against poor and marginalised miners who are criminalised instead of being formalised. The organisation expressed solidarity with community members protesting the killing and urged government to de‑escalate tensions in the area.

According to CNRG, the death of Chamatumba highlights deeper structural failures in Zimbabwe’s diamond governance and exposes the link between militarisation, extractive interests and human rights abuses. The organisation also criticised global certification systems for sanitising abuses by maintaining a narrow definition of “conflict diamonds”.

CNRG referenced its long‑standing advocacy under the Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition, which has repeatedly called for reforms to expand the definition of conflict diamonds to include systematic human rights abuses committed by state or private security actors. It also reminded authorities that Zimbabwe committed in 2008 to a phased withdrawal of the army from Marange under a Joint Work Plan with the Kimberley Process.

The organisation said the continued use of torture and killings by the army in Marange should serve as a wake‑up call to all stakeholders in the diamond value chain to ensure the military is permanently withdrawn and replaced by the police. CNRG called for immediate demilitarisation of the Marange diamond fields, saying policing should be civilian, accountable and grounded in human‑rights standards. It also demanded an independent investigation into Chamatumba’s death and other abuses, with perpetrators prosecuted regardless of rank.

CNRG further urged government to recognise artisanal miners as legitimate economic actors and to adopt non‑violent formalisation models that prioritise livelihoods, community safety and development. The organisation reiterated its call for reforms to the Kimberley Process to broaden the definition of conflict diamonds to include abuses linked to extraction by both state and non‑state actors.