News / National
De Beers deny looting Zim diamonds
05 Feb 2014 at 07:34hrs | Views
COLOGNE- Diamond mining giant, De Beers, has vehemently denied alleged mass looting of diamonds, in Zimbabwe's Marange fields, believed to be containing the world's richest alluvial deposits. The revelations, are coming on the back-coth of reports, that companies mining diamonds in the Southern African country, have fallen on tough times, as alluvial deposits of the gem are reportedly fast running out.
The Telescope, was told in communications, with the London headquartered firm that, the allegations levelled against them by Harare are "totally untrue", and that if a panel of experts were to convene on the matter, the mining entity was confident of being absolved from any "wrong doing". Diamond miners are continuously going on strike, demanding higher wages, of at least $650 for the lowest paid employee. Companies licensed to mine diamonds in Marange, officially include Mbada Diamonds, Marange Resources, Anjin Investments, Diamond Mining Company, Jinan, Kusena and Gye Nyame.
Obert Mpofu, Zimbabwe's former mines minister made the stunning attacks on De Beers a few years ago, saying the leading diamond firm "looted tonnes" of diamonds from Marange over a period of 15 years, without notifying President Robert Mugabe's administration of the discovery of the gems.
"De Beers looted our diamonds for 15 years and were sending them to South Africa without our knowledge and they had even declared that area a restricted area, as if it was their land when the country belongs to us," Mpofu said at the time. "Everyone knows that the diamonds at Chiadzwa (Marange) are mined from the surface and De Beers was for the last 15 years alleging that they were doing prospecting and carrying out tests when in actual fact they were looting diamonds from Chiadzwa," he said.
De Beers successfully applied for an Exclusive Prospecting Order (EPO) for Marange diamond fields in 1994 and prospected for about 12 years (1994 - 2006), not 15 years as alleged by Mpofu.
"As we have said repeatedly before, these allegations are totally untrue. The presence of diamonds in the Marange area was first discovered in the period 2001 to 2003, by De Beers during its exploration search for primary deposits (kimberlites)," Lynette Gould, De Beers UK head of media relations told The Telescope News.
"The geological studies confirmed that these diamonds were coming from sedimentary conglomerate horizons in the area and not primary kimberlites, the latter which constituted the objective of the De Beers prospecting efforts to establish mining operations in Zimbabwe. The prospecting in the region was concluded by early 2006, with the conclusion that the primary source for such diamonds was not local, and De Beers moved to relinquish its prospecting rights in the region. The prospecting licence (EPO 1523) under which this work was conducted expired in March 2006. In July 2006 De Beers held discussions with the Ministry of Mines to hand over the technical reports, discuss the results and to confirm that De Beers was not interested in retaining the EPO and informed the Government of its intentions to abandon the ground. Should any panel of experts be convened we are confident that they would find absolutely no wrongdoing on the part of De Beers."
According to government statistics, 12 million carats of rough diamonds were extracted in 2012, and finance minister, Patrick Chinamasa, has predicted that 2014 will see Zimbabwe produce 12 million carat once more.
Marange diamonds are at the heart of a battle for political supremacy in Zimbabwe. They have become a poisoned chalice, wrought in chaos and intrigue. Infighting among Zanu PF politicians and the army over Marange diamonds for example, is thought to have resulted in the brutal death of Zimbabwe's first army commander, General Solomon Mujuru, who died in a suspicious fire caused by a "candle" at his Alamein farm in Beatrice.
Mujuru a decorated military commander, died on 15 August 2011 aged 62. The high ranking soldier was already mining diamonds, at his River Ranch Diamond Mine in Beitbridge and appears to have made enemies within and outside Zanu PF whose diamond interests were at stake. Mujuru it is now believed could have lost his life following disclosures that he was using diamond money earned from both his Beitbridge mine and claims in Marange to destabilize Zanu PF and oust President Robert Mugabe from power. There are also accusations that Mujuru had funded the formation of the Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn party lead by former finance minister Simba Makoni. Makoni finished third with 8.3% of the vote in the first round of the 2008 presidential elections. Makoni however did not contest last year's election.
Mujuru had become very critical of Mugabe. The general is credited with imploring freedom fighters in Mozambique during Zimbabwe's liberation conflict with Britain to accept Mugabe as the leader of the ZANLA forces after his release from prison in 1974. At independence in 1980 he took over the command of the army, before retiring and going into business. Over the years Mujuru was considered a kingmaker of Zanu PF politics even managing to influence her wife, Joice Mujuru from rising from a minor rural development and water resources ministerial portfolio between 1997-2004, to becoming Zimbabwe's first woman vice president.
Relations with Mugabe soured after intelligence operatives against his political faction in Zanu PF made a high profile case against him to Mugabe, allegedly collaborating with a rival faction lead by current justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa. These allegations against Mujuru, revolve around disclosures made by Wikileaks that he had sought American intervention to topple Mugabe and was also the alleged hidden hand behind an attempted political coup in 2007, which was thwarted and first blamed on his rival Mnangagwa.
The coup plot foiling claimed the lives of two senior military generals. It was reported at one time that Mujuru could have been assassinated by an Israeli diamond mafia over sour deals, in what appeared to be attempts to distract the real cause of his death and covering up for those involved.
The above illustration of Mujuru, having been a victim of the Marange diamond wars serves as an eye opener on how the army and secret service have a grip on the mineral, and how they are now a key power broker in deciding who becomes the next President of the Republic of Zimbabwe. With Mujuru out of the picture, his nemesis justice minister Mnangagwa himself one of the early bosses of the secret service as minister of state security between 1982 and 1988,now stands the biggest chance of becoming president. As reported by The Telescope News, last week Mnangagwa has cut a deal with the army to torpedo Mujuru from taking power from Mugabe.
Mystery continues to cloud what is really taking place at the Marange fields, and one such unanswered question is a massive airstrip that has been constructed by the Chinese, and it is jointly owned by the army and the country's spy outfit the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO). Based on arial photographs of the Chiadzwa fields, where the Marange mines are situated, the airstrip is said to be larger than the Harare International　airport causing alarm as diamonds are being air-smuggled possibly to China in return for military weapons and support. Zimbabwe is now purported to be the largest source of smuggled informal diamonds ply in the world.
Fuelling confusion, are the many unknown companies operating at the Marange diamond mines, most of which are either wholly or partly owned by the military, secret service and Chinese capital. Mining firms whose operations are known include: Mbada Diamonds, Grandwell Holdings from South Africa, Marange Resources, Chinese firm Anjin Investments and Security Self-Reliance Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd owned by the police. There are several other companies, partnerships and mafia like organizations with links to the military and intelligence service operating and mining in secrecy making their activity detection virtually impossible. The rate of smuggling and lack of transparency is disheartening, as they are reports of diamonds being flown out of the country from the Harare International Airport by well-connected Indian and Chinese businessmen. Private jets land and leave without being held to account after illicit auctions, which must become a matter of investigation as the country is being deprived of billions of dollars in looted revenue, most of which is stashed in offshore Asian accounts.
All the companies granted licenses at Marange have direct military and secret service ties. Mbada Diamonds for instance has a strong shareholding of serving and former military servicemen. One such shareholder is retired Air vice Marshall Robert Mhlanga, who is the chairman of Mbada Diamonds. The company is also believed to have a stake for elite national army senior officers. It is also now known that President Robert Mugabe's wife, Grace is a major shareholder in Mbada making the Mugabe family an interested party in Marange diamonds. The company has been accused of clandestine activity, involving attempts to smuggle 300 000 carats of diamonds out of the country, through Harare Airport from Chiadzwa without police supervision, according to a Human Rights Watch report.
Marange Resources is a dubious outfit, consisting of senior Zanu PF and CIO officials who allege to be representing the government of Zimbabwe. Chinese-owned Anjin Investments,is a joint venture between China and Zimbabwe's national army. The joint venture is questionable at many levels, and like Mbada Diamonds, Anjin Investments has also been implicated in cases of illicit diamond trade. The company is accused of smuggling 2 million diamond carats possibly through the Marange airstrip in Chiadzwa, and could be holding onto more stockpiles of diamonds apart from the reported figures. Anjin says it has invested over US$300 million at its open-cast mine and has developed infrastructure in a new area where poor families custodian to the Chiadzwa villages have been forcibly relocated from their homes and made to start life elsewhere against their will, which is a violation to the human right on freedom and entitlement to settlement.
Anjin Investments is also accused of paying the 600 workers at its diamond mines in Marange a pittance salary of $180 per month for the lowest paid. Workers are striking for better working conditions, and are demanding parity with the poverty datum line which is estimated at about US$540 per month.
Another dimension to the Marange diamonds is an illicit deal that has been made by the CIO in a business broker capacity by scouting for a controversial Chinese businessman called Sam Pa, who struck a deal with CIO director Happyton Bonyongwe to finance and sustain the Zanu PF regime of Robert Mugabe. Pa, whose real name is Xu Jinghua allegedly provides capital for Zanu PF, the CIO and army in return for diamonds. Pa has also promised capital investments to build railways, airports and public housing. The Chinese is another mysterious power player in Zimbabwean politics due to his proximity to the CIO, and strong links with the military reportedly established by Bonyongwe. Pa runs syndicates across Africa especially in Angola and Guinea where he has struck oil deals for China.
Media reports state that Pa has supplied the CIO with funds and equipment, which the intelligence agency has used during elections to deliver victory for Zanu PF.
The Telescope, was told in communications, with the London headquartered firm that, the allegations levelled against them by Harare are "totally untrue", and that if a panel of experts were to convene on the matter, the mining entity was confident of being absolved from any "wrong doing". Diamond miners are continuously going on strike, demanding higher wages, of at least $650 for the lowest paid employee. Companies licensed to mine diamonds in Marange, officially include Mbada Diamonds, Marange Resources, Anjin Investments, Diamond Mining Company, Jinan, Kusena and Gye Nyame.
Obert Mpofu, Zimbabwe's former mines minister made the stunning attacks on De Beers a few years ago, saying the leading diamond firm "looted tonnes" of diamonds from Marange over a period of 15 years, without notifying President Robert Mugabe's administration of the discovery of the gems.
"De Beers looted our diamonds for 15 years and were sending them to South Africa without our knowledge and they had even declared that area a restricted area, as if it was their land when the country belongs to us," Mpofu said at the time. "Everyone knows that the diamonds at Chiadzwa (Marange) are mined from the surface and De Beers was for the last 15 years alleging that they were doing prospecting and carrying out tests when in actual fact they were looting diamonds from Chiadzwa," he said.
De Beers successfully applied for an Exclusive Prospecting Order (EPO) for Marange diamond fields in 1994 and prospected for about 12 years (1994 - 2006), not 15 years as alleged by Mpofu.
"As we have said repeatedly before, these allegations are totally untrue. The presence of diamonds in the Marange area was first discovered in the period 2001 to 2003, by De Beers during its exploration search for primary deposits (kimberlites)," Lynette Gould, De Beers UK head of media relations told The Telescope News.
"The geological studies confirmed that these diamonds were coming from sedimentary conglomerate horizons in the area and not primary kimberlites, the latter which constituted the objective of the De Beers prospecting efforts to establish mining operations in Zimbabwe. The prospecting in the region was concluded by early 2006, with the conclusion that the primary source for such diamonds was not local, and De Beers moved to relinquish its prospecting rights in the region. The prospecting licence (EPO 1523) under which this work was conducted expired in March 2006. In July 2006 De Beers held discussions with the Ministry of Mines to hand over the technical reports, discuss the results and to confirm that De Beers was not interested in retaining the EPO and informed the Government of its intentions to abandon the ground. Should any panel of experts be convened we are confident that they would find absolutely no wrongdoing on the part of De Beers."
According to government statistics, 12 million carats of rough diamonds were extracted in 2012, and finance minister, Patrick Chinamasa, has predicted that 2014 will see Zimbabwe produce 12 million carat once more.
Marange diamonds are at the heart of a battle for political supremacy in Zimbabwe. They have become a poisoned chalice, wrought in chaos and intrigue. Infighting among Zanu PF politicians and the army over Marange diamonds for example, is thought to have resulted in the brutal death of Zimbabwe's first army commander, General Solomon Mujuru, who died in a suspicious fire caused by a "candle" at his Alamein farm in Beatrice.
Mujuru a decorated military commander, died on 15 August 2011 aged 62. The high ranking soldier was already mining diamonds, at his River Ranch Diamond Mine in Beitbridge and appears to have made enemies within and outside Zanu PF whose diamond interests were at stake. Mujuru it is now believed could have lost his life following disclosures that he was using diamond money earned from both his Beitbridge mine and claims in Marange to destabilize Zanu PF and oust President Robert Mugabe from power. There are also accusations that Mujuru had funded the formation of the Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn party lead by former finance minister Simba Makoni. Makoni finished third with 8.3% of the vote in the first round of the 2008 presidential elections. Makoni however did not contest last year's election.
Relations with Mugabe soured after intelligence operatives against his political faction in Zanu PF made a high profile case against him to Mugabe, allegedly collaborating with a rival faction lead by current justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa. These allegations against Mujuru, revolve around disclosures made by Wikileaks that he had sought American intervention to topple Mugabe and was also the alleged hidden hand behind an attempted political coup in 2007, which was thwarted and first blamed on his rival Mnangagwa.
The coup plot foiling claimed the lives of two senior military generals. It was reported at one time that Mujuru could have been assassinated by an Israeli diamond mafia over sour deals, in what appeared to be attempts to distract the real cause of his death and covering up for those involved.
The above illustration of Mujuru, having been a victim of the Marange diamond wars serves as an eye opener on how the army and secret service have a grip on the mineral, and how they are now a key power broker in deciding who becomes the next President of the Republic of Zimbabwe. With Mujuru out of the picture, his nemesis justice minister Mnangagwa himself one of the early bosses of the secret service as minister of state security between 1982 and 1988,now stands the biggest chance of becoming president. As reported by The Telescope News, last week Mnangagwa has cut a deal with the army to torpedo Mujuru from taking power from Mugabe.
Mystery continues to cloud what is really taking place at the Marange fields, and one such unanswered question is a massive airstrip that has been constructed by the Chinese, and it is jointly owned by the army and the country's spy outfit the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO). Based on arial photographs of the Chiadzwa fields, where the Marange mines are situated, the airstrip is said to be larger than the Harare International　airport causing alarm as diamonds are being air-smuggled possibly to China in return for military weapons and support. Zimbabwe is now purported to be the largest source of smuggled informal diamonds ply in the world.
Fuelling confusion, are the many unknown companies operating at the Marange diamond mines, most of which are either wholly or partly owned by the military, secret service and Chinese capital. Mining firms whose operations are known include: Mbada Diamonds, Grandwell Holdings from South Africa, Marange Resources, Chinese firm Anjin Investments and Security Self-Reliance Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd owned by the police. There are several other companies, partnerships and mafia like organizations with links to the military and intelligence service operating and mining in secrecy making their activity detection virtually impossible. The rate of smuggling and lack of transparency is disheartening, as they are reports of diamonds being flown out of the country from the Harare International Airport by well-connected Indian and Chinese businessmen. Private jets land and leave without being held to account after illicit auctions, which must become a matter of investigation as the country is being deprived of billions of dollars in looted revenue, most of which is stashed in offshore Asian accounts.
All the companies granted licenses at Marange have direct military and secret service ties. Mbada Diamonds for instance has a strong shareholding of serving and former military servicemen. One such shareholder is retired Air vice Marshall Robert Mhlanga, who is the chairman of Mbada Diamonds. The company is also believed to have a stake for elite national army senior officers. It is also now known that President Robert Mugabe's wife, Grace is a major shareholder in Mbada making the Mugabe family an interested party in Marange diamonds. The company has been accused of clandestine activity, involving attempts to smuggle 300 000 carats of diamonds out of the country, through Harare Airport from Chiadzwa without police supervision, according to a Human Rights Watch report.
Marange Resources is a dubious outfit, consisting of senior Zanu PF and CIO officials who allege to be representing the government of Zimbabwe. Chinese-owned Anjin Investments,is a joint venture between China and Zimbabwe's national army. The joint venture is questionable at many levels, and like Mbada Diamonds, Anjin Investments has also been implicated in cases of illicit diamond trade. The company is accused of smuggling 2 million diamond carats possibly through the Marange airstrip in Chiadzwa, and could be holding onto more stockpiles of diamonds apart from the reported figures. Anjin says it has invested over US$300 million at its open-cast mine and has developed infrastructure in a new area where poor families custodian to the Chiadzwa villages have been forcibly relocated from their homes and made to start life elsewhere against their will, which is a violation to the human right on freedom and entitlement to settlement.
Anjin Investments is also accused of paying the 600 workers at its diamond mines in Marange a pittance salary of $180 per month for the lowest paid. Workers are striking for better working conditions, and are demanding parity with the poverty datum line which is estimated at about US$540 per month.
Another dimension to the Marange diamonds is an illicit deal that has been made by the CIO in a business broker capacity by scouting for a controversial Chinese businessman called Sam Pa, who struck a deal with CIO director Happyton Bonyongwe to finance and sustain the Zanu PF regime of Robert Mugabe. Pa, whose real name is Xu Jinghua allegedly provides capital for Zanu PF, the CIO and army in return for diamonds. Pa has also promised capital investments to build railways, airports and public housing. The Chinese is another mysterious power player in Zimbabwean politics due to his proximity to the CIO, and strong links with the military reportedly established by Bonyongwe. Pa runs syndicates across Africa especially in Angola and Guinea where he has struck oil deals for China.
Media reports state that Pa has supplied the CIO with funds and equipment, which the intelligence agency has used during elections to deliver victory for Zanu PF.
Source - The Telescope
