Our diamonds belong to the people of Zimbabwe

Written by Braam Hanekom

Thursday, 05 November 2009 07:40

We must keep our diamonds in Zimbabwean soil until we are rid of the thieves that govern our country. It is clear that the corruption bridges across the political divides. If some MDC officials were not involved then why would Tsvangirai’s official, Deputy Minister of Mines, Murisi Zwizwai, deny that Mugabe’s government ever killed any alluvial diamond miners in the Chiadzwa area?

In the Marange District of Eastern Zimbabwe, where Chiadzwa is located, the community was victim to the notorious operation Kakudzokwi “do not return” last year. I thought that this was common knowledge, just about all Zimbabweans know about this operation. From the reports we have seen and from what the community has said at least 100 people were killed by soldiers who flew over the area in helicopters with automatic machine guns shooting everyone in attempt to take complete control over diamond panning. Recently we conducted an investigation into the conditions and were told, even by police that there could have been about one thousand killed during the operation. It is absolutely unacceptable, soldiers cannot kill people for panning, this is open and obvious murder.

In Zimbabwe people often loose touch with reality and believe that government can behave in such a way, as if they have the right to punish illegal panning or possibly trespassing with death. The same soldiers, and now police, who beat and kill the community for panning in the area, recruit and enslave them as panners.

It’s a game of cat and mouse every week the community of panners are chased and then called back into the area- now called Pa Mai Mujuru. It is there Pa Mai Mujuru’s that people work, month on end, desperately digging deep holes, shovelling the soil out. They then run the fresh soil through plastic sacks, separating soil from stones and finally they sort through the small stones to see if they can find any of the precious diamonds. They do this day and night, with very limited water access, in the cold, in the 40 degree heat and even in the rain. If panners were to think of the work they do as a job they would never accept such conditions, but they are conned into thinking that they will earn a fortune when or if they stumble across a diamond big. They are tricked into thinking that this will be enough to change their lives forever, that they will no longer have to worry about the next meal or the medical bills of loved ones.

Instead of this new life all panners end up finding cheaper industrial diamonds and selling them for us $10 a gram and then having to give half of the money to soldiers and police. The remaining money is divided by 20 or 30 depending on how many panners are in their “syndicate”. The thing is it is cheaper to trick people into working for free, or peanuts than to employ them as miners. The whole Chidzwa and Murange diamond business is corrupt with people being beaten and often having their hard earned diamonds “confiscated” by police or soldiers after months of unpaid work. Indeed if a diamond were big and valuable the chances of the panners actually getting to benefit are much less then their soldier or police syndicate leaders beating them and stealing it from them.

It is not suprising that Mugabe is unable to move his soldiers and police, because Chihuru and Mujuru who are the biggest beneficiaries are uncontrollable. Either this or Mugabe has a share of the profit and, interestingly, so must MDC’s Murisi Zwizwai. It is also interesting that Chihuru and Mujuru are unable to control their soldiers and police who openly sell diamonds, while ‘securing’ their areas.

When did Zimbabwe become a rebel country, a conflict zone and lawless state? When did Zimbabweans allow for government to kill with no respect for the law, where the law has a procedure that is supposed to be followed but politicians can decide to ignore them?

The dirty business has torn apart many poor desperate Zimbabwean lives, while certain high level individuals have made their millions. It seems that, the country has been worrying about who is president and politics, but certain calculating and murderous people have been stealing the country’s God given resources and exporting them out the country for their personal financial gain.

It is sad to think that in the Chiadzwa area thousands have had their family members killed and have seen them disappear while still believing that diamonds are an opportunity. It was clear that the money that diamonds generate only strengthen the warlords who are willing to kill and abuse as much as they believe necessary to secure their profits. They have benefited for too long and all Zimbabweans need to stand against the diamond trade from Marange, it is one big lie that Zimbabwe will benefit. We need to be clear that there are no benefits for ordinary poor Zimbabweans but instead the money is further strengthening the ruling elite.

We need to stand against this trade until human rights are being respected, until the police and soldiers stop being businessmen, until the soldiers leave the area or allow for international organisations to monitor their behaviour in the area. It is better that the diamonds stay in the soil than for them to be used to kill our people.

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