The Marange Diamond Field in Zimbabwe Image credit: Zimbabwe Diamond Trust
(theindependent.co.zw) - One thing that we all have to bear in mind is that if you do not remember the mistakes of our past, you condemn us to making the same mistakes. This is true in life, true in business and in the life of nations. History is littered with examples of this truth. In the early months after the turn of the century, a De Beers geological team found evidence of diamonds in the alluvial sands of Marange in Zimbabwe. Previously, we had found diamonds on the banks of the Limpopo and lower down the Sabi River Valley. This discovery was nothing like those. It was alluvial in character and, in 2006, when the company decided to abandon its discovery; a small group of investors in London took over the claims and within weeks found gem quality diamonds. In days they fell afoul of the Ministry of Mines, the very agency that is supposed to protect our national interests. They were driven off their legally acquired claims and their discovery handed over to the people of the district. Well and good until those who were in power at that time discovered how rich the area really was. In 2008, the army moved in and forcibly removed thousands of small-scale miners who were making a living by excavating the sands by hand and sorting out the diamonds for sale. By 2012, half a dozen companies were on site and satellite images of the area showed over 60 000 hectares of alluvial deposits under exploitation. The same images showed an air strip with a control tower and heavy equipment on site. It was clear this was no small operation.
