Zim secretly awards Marange’s Portal B to Anjin – report

The Zimbabwean government has been accused of secretly awarding Anjin Investments the right to mine in Portal B at Marange diamond fields, which is under the concession of the state-owned Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC), according to a local non-government organisation.
Centre for Natural Resources Governance (CNRG) claimed in a report that Anjin’s initial licence before it was ejected from the diamond fields in 2016, was to operate in portal Q.
“The decision to award portal B to Anjin Investment was done unilaterally by the political leadership of the country, without consulting the ZCDC board,” reads part of the report seen by Nehanda Radio.
“The decision did not go well with the board of ZCDC which led to its resignation in protest on the 25th of April 2020.”
CNRG said Anjin’s operations were hidden from parliament and public scrutiny.
It was also not forced into a partnership with ZCDC as was the case with Russia’s ALROSA.
Anjin is a joint venture between China’s Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Company (AFECC) and Matt Bronze, an investment vehicle controlled by Zimbabwe’s military.

Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished