Anjin Investment, a joint venture between China’s Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Company (AFECC) and Matt Bronze, an investment vehicle controlled by Zimbabwe’s military, has apologised to Headman Chiadzwa for resuming operations in Marange without his blessings.
African custom dictates that a company commencing operations in rural Zimbabwe should first pay a courtesy call to the traditional leader.
“We would like to apologise to Headman Chiadzwa for our failure to pay a courtesy call when we came back to mine in his area,” Anjin human resources manager Amon Mhlanga was quoted as saying by New Zimbabwe.com.
“We are very sorry and we admit that we erred. We did not follow the protocol to visit the headman and advise him of our presence in his area.”
Meanwhile, Mhlanga was also said to have struggled to explain to the villagers that the company was no longer involved in human rights violations.
“We know there are legacy issues but we promise you to resolve some of the outstanding issues. Our company is not yet financial strong like ZCDC (Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company),” he said.
“We are still trying to make things work but definitely, we will attend to community issues.”
Anjin and several other companies were barred from Marange in 2016 by the then government of the late Robert Mugabe for allegedly failing to remit diamond revenue to the treasury.
It had operated in the area since 2006.
This led to the establishment of the state-owned Zimbabwe Diamond Consolidated Company (ZCDC).
Anjin was, however, allowed to return to Marange in 2019 by the new administration of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The Zimbabwean president who came into power in 2017 backed by the military said Harare’s 2016 decision to force out alluvial diamond miners, affected production for four years.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
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