Zim only concerned with selling diamonds rather than adding value

Diamond colleges have accused the government of being concerned with selling the stones rather than adding value, which would create employment for millions of Zimbabweans and rake in fortunes for the country through selling finished products.

A shareholder of Zimbabwe Diamond Education College, Lovemore Kurotwi and director of Braitwood Institute of Gemology' another diamond college ' Bernard Mahara Mutanga, sang from the same hymn book in separate interviews.

Kurotwi said Zimbabwe was not benefiting from the precious gem because it lacked qualified personnel and diamond industry to monitor the gem. He said ever since ZDEC's diamond licence was approved in April this year, the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development was taking long to hand it over to the college, thereby disadvantaging students in their practical lessons.
Kurotwi said by now the country was supposed to have produced its own diamond experts rather than importing expertise from other countries such as South Africa.