ZIMBABWE Consolidation Diamond Company (ZCDC)’s chief executive officer, Morris Mpofu, has claimed that some of his subordinates were working in cahoots with illegal diamond miners to steal the gems from Chiadzwa.
BY KENNETH NYANGANI
Mpofu made the remarks during an all-stakeholders diamond security conference in Mutare last Friday. His remarks came amid reports that illegal foreign diamond buyers had invaded Manicaland province, where they had formed syndicates with local diamond miners.
‘’We are worried with connivance and syndicates within the company. The issue is they are working with illegal buyers with cash and they wave cash,’’ he said.
Mpofu added: ‘’We have got within our company, illegal dealers and illegal buyers and this is the reason we constantly look at our security. There are also intrusions in the mining fields. The majority of the illegal miners … come from outside Chiadzwa and civic societies are very aware of this.’’
The ZCDC boss said the government-owned diamond mining company was also failing to access some of the mining concessions due to outstanding legal issues with the former diamond miners whose licences were cancelled in 2014.
“We need the issue of protestation in courts to come to a closure and focus on mining diamonds for the country. The alluvial diamond has dried up and we are now focusing on the conglomerate and the transition from alluvial mining to the conglomerate has been very smooth,” he said.
Some of the stakeholders at the meeting included Marange traditional leaders, representatives of Bocha Development Trust, Arda Transau Development and Centre for Natural Resource Governance.
