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MUTARE – THE Marange diamond mining community has said the recent firing of some Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) top executives has been long overdue and is stepping up efforts to force the embattled miner to halt operations as it is worse off than the previous mining companies. The ZCDC board recently fired its top executives, including under-fire chief executive Morris Mpofu in the wake of diamond pilferage amid allegations of corruption. Mpofu appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court last week, facing criminal abuse of office charges after he allegedly recommended that ZCDC should sell diamonds to a blacklisted buyer. He was released on $2 000 bail by magistrate Barbara Mateko. The seven include Mpofu, chief finance officer Charles Gambe, supply chain executive Newton Demba, chief human resources executive Masciline Chikoore, engineering executive Andrew Murwisi and Cleopatra Mutisi, the audit executive as well as the chief security officer, likely Clement Munoriarwa, who is listed as the company’s protection and surveillance services executive on its website. The government in 2016 ceased operations of nine diamond companies following their failure to renew operating licences, amid reports they had failed to account for all the gems they mined. In interviews by The Zimbabwe Morning Post on Monday, the communities implored the government to disband ZCDC over its glaring failure to run Marange diamonds transparently and uphold human rights abuses. Centre for Natural Resource Governance director Farai Maguwu said ZCDC was taking the nation for a ride. “ZCDC is just a group of looters, led by officials in the Mines ministry. “It is a group of corrupt officials who have worsened mining operations in Marange. Proper investigations must be done. ZCDC was set up so that some individuals continue looting the resources,” said Maguwu. He urged the communities in Marange and other civil society organisations not to relax but to stand up for their cause. “If it is to die then the people must die because of the Marange diamonds. If it is marching all the way to those responsible and demonstrate our anger then we will do that,” he said. Centre for Research and Development director James Mupfumi said ZCDC was another example of a company that has exposed government’s failure to run public enterprises because of corruption and cronyism. “Until there is political will to transform these institutions of governance that have been personalized, people of Marange will continue to live in abject poverty whilst their resources are being plundered by a chosen few,” he said. The communities said the poor performance by ZCDC has infuriated them and have called for sanity to prevail in the sector. Concerned villagers said human rights violations have worsened perpetrated by soldiers, the police, and security guards from ZCDC. Hebert Muchafuruka said serious pollution has multiplied on local water sources and some villagers have been exposed to serious health hazards. “It is dust everywhere. Houses are covered in dust and the heavy machines are actually operating at the doorsteps of the households. The previous companies that were mining the diamonds were better,” he said. “The water has become undrinkable. I don’t know how we have been surviving. We do not know how we will ever get clean water to drink from. We are actually drinking mud and this ZCDC is doing nothing but only giving false promises,” Muchafuruka said. The villagers said they thought the coming in of ZCDC would bring relief to them. “But it has come out that it is worse off. We have seen many people losing jobs. But ZCDC has failed to consider the local people for employment. We have noted that the company is employing new employees from outside the community and worse off from other areas out of Manicaland,” said Hebert Chawa a villager. Traditional leaders have also joined the plight. “I represent the people but this is now what we expected from ZCDC. We only hear that diamonds are being stolen each and every time. Who is stealing those diamonds? It the people from ZCDC who are stealing the diamonds,” said a traditional leader who requested anonymity. “We now call on the government to halt the operations of ZCDC because it has done nothing for the betterment of our lives of our people,” he said. There have been growing concerns over the continuous looting of diamonds through well organised syndicates including top employees of ZCDC and organised syndicates at the porous Chiadzwa diamond fields. |
