Image credit: ZCDC
Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) board member Tumai Murombo was quoted by Chat263 as saying during a webinar that the country had failed to generate meaningful diamond revenue since the formation of ZCDC.
Harare had cited failure to declare all diamond revenue to the central bank and smuggling as one of the reasons why it refused to extend mining permits of former Marange miners.
“Up to now really if I am to be asked what we have benefited from Marange diamonds, it’s very difficult to pin point…but given the pronouncements government has made before it should not be difficult,” he said.
“We have a big challenge in terms of lack of political will, not only to develop laws, we still have a specific diamond outstanding, we still have Mines and Minerals Bill remaining a bill…as long as they remain bills or draft policies we are going nowhere.”
Mines and mining development minister Winston Chitando said last March that the diamond sector realised $165 million in 2019 compared to $98 million in 2018.
Diamonds are expected to add at least $1 billion to the $12 billion that Zimbabwe is expecting the mining industry to contribute to the country’s gross domestic product by 2023.
The country is planning to more than triple its diamond output to 11 million carats by 2023 from 3.2 million carats in 2018.
Marange produced 12 million carats at its peak in 2012.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
