MUTARE – Chief Marange, born Muchisi Makungauta Marange, has distanced himself from the recent demonstration by angry villagers against Chinese mining company – Anjin Investments.
Twenty-eight Chiadzwa villagers, including Headman Robert Chiadzwa, were arrested last week in Chiadzwa after staging the protest against Anjin Investments, demanding management feedback regarding their concerns.
They are accused of violating Section 36 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act and unlawful entry to the Chinese owned company premises to demand management response concerning their grievances.
The villagers are also facing a charge of public violence against Anjin Investments after it plans to hold a beer ceremony without their knowledge.
The rituals are targeted at bringing more diamonds.
They were granted ZWL$3 000 bail each by Mutare magistrate Langton Mukwengi. The villagers were represented by Mutare lawyers Passmore Nyakureba, Cosmas Chibaya and Blessward Mumbure and were not asked to plead to the aforementioned charge.
They will return back to court on 22 November.
In a Press statement released on Monday Chief Marange said the chieftaincy would “like to distance ourselves from alleged acts of vandalism and violence associated with demonstrations by the Chiadzwa Ward 30 residents.”
“We will in no way ever condone acts of violence and riotous behaviour. We will however, keep on capacity building our members on constitutional ways of raising grievances.”
“Earnest engagements pertaining to how diamond mining companies and the Marange Community can jointly work together towards common good are underway.”
He said while he acknowledged Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) outstanding efforts and performance in bringing world class mining to Marange and implementing a community driven Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy, he was looking forward to Anjin Investments adopting a similar approach in the short, medium and long term.
“We have the conviction that as Marange Community we are affluently endowed with such a prolific diamond resource, which our patriotic government is fully utilizing to bring maximum development to our nation as a whole,” he said.
“As a community, government has allocated a specific concession to us and we look forward to the soon operationalisation of this concession much to the betterment of our people,” said the Chief.
Chief Marange said there was need for the community and the mining companies operating in Chiadzwa to solve grievances amicably.
