Chiadzwa yields 50 000 carats per week
March 25, 2009
Mines Minister Obert Mpofu
By Our Correspondent
HARARE- The government is extracting between 50 000 and 60 000 carats of diamonds per week from Chiadzwa in Manicaland, Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu said Wednesday.
Mpofu told Parliament that the Zimbabwe Mining Development Company (ZMDC) was hamstrung by a lack of adequate and proper mining equipment to extract the precious mineral hence the low production levels.
ZMDC is spearheading diamond mining operations in Chiadzwa following the violent clampdown and flushing out of illegal diamond miners.
“We are exploring diamonds using equipment that is not producing amounts that we would want to produce,” said Mpofu.
“We are currently producing an average of 50 000 to 60 000 carats per week, which is small compared to the mineral resources that are there.”
He was responding to a question from Kambuzuma Member of Parliament Willas Madzimure during Parliament’s question and answer session.
Although he could not give the value of the diamonds mined weekly, Mpofu told Parliament his ministry was working on a plan to ramp up diamond production so that proceeds could average US$600 000 per day.
“We would want to realize US$600 000 per day if we get state of the art mining equipment,” said Mpofu.
The mining of diamonds in Chiadzwa is currently at the centre of a probe by an international team from the United Nation’s world diamond regulatory body, the Kimberley Process.
The UN is investigating reports of mass murder at the hands of soldiers.
The international team, which monitors the trade in “blood diamonds”, will report back on the allegations of killings at Chiadzwa.
Chiadzwa has been the centre of controversy since last October when the army was called in to disperse thousands of illegal diamond hunters.
The government seized the Chiadzwa diamond operation from British-based Africa Consolidated Resources in 2007 and set off a diamond rush when it encouraged locals to help themselves.
In November 2008, Manicaland police disclosed that a joint police and army crackdown on illegal diamond mining in Manicaland and natural causes had claimed the lives of 20 people.
The illegal miners were allegedly shot during clashes with the state security forces or died due to various ailments at the troubled diamond fields.
Their bodies were said to have been dumped at Mutare Provincial Hospital mortuary. But on Wednesday Mpofu told Parliament that the police and soldiers had denied killing miners.
“In our engagements with the police, they assured us that they didn’t kill anyone,” said Mpofu. “The police said it was the illegal diamond miners who killed each other during the scramble.”
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Do you think he’s serious?
Or just making it up to cover up ZANU theft and embezzlement?
Especially the comments about “the police killed nobody” because it was all the diamond miners who used helicopter gunships to slaughter all the peasants to make way for ZANU politicians to run illegal cartels to steal all the diamond revenues?
Dear Editor,
HAving worked in related industries, I am Certain that what the minister said regarding production was a lie. Murowa diamonds, which has state of the art equipment used to do 200,000 carats in good times, supposedly a monthly production of Chiadzwa. The figures given imply the annual output is in excess of 1 million carats. This would be the first time rudimentary equipment would produce so much.
At 50,000 carats a week any bank in this world would have advanced the government money to continue operating.
Kindly consult another mining expert in your next story to assist you to write a disclaimer below such a story.
Thanks
EDITOR: With due respect, Givemore Mhondoro, you clearly misunderstand the context of this story. Obert Mpofu is the Minister of Mines in the government of Zimbabwe. He disclosed these figures officially in a statement made in Parliament. It is the minister who should consult his officials again. When he revises his figures we will happily publish. Meanwhile we will rely on other experts, including you, to help the minister and his officials.
In terms of monetary value, how much would be realised from 50 000 carats?