Zimbabwe Defence Industry (ZDI), a company owned by the country’s army is said to control a 40 percent stake in the diamond mining company, Anjin Investments.
Mines deputy minister Gift Chimanikire was quoted by New Zimbabwe.com as saying in parliament that the state-run mining firm, Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC), owned 10 percent, while the remaining stake belonged to the Chinese Defence Industries.
Although ZDI was nominally a private concern, all the shares in company were held by the Ministry of Defence.
Chimanikire said there was nothing sinister about ZDI’s involvement in diamond mining.
“Defence Industries are a common practice world over and there is nothing perculiar about it in Zimbabwe because Anjin itself is a defence industry company that is owned by the Chinese, which is in a joint venture with Zimbabwe Defence Industries,” he was quoted as saying.
He said Anjin was one of the five companies currently operating at Marange.
The other firms were Marange Resources (100 percent government-owned), Mbada Diamonds (joint venture between the government and a private investor), Diamond Mining Corporation (joint venture between the government and a private investor) and Sino Zimbabwe (100 percent government).
Chimanikire denied allegations that the country’s Central Intelligence Organisation and the police were also involved in diamond mining.
“From a ministry point of view, Central Intelligence Organisation and Partners, Zimbabwe Republic Police and Partners and Zimbabwe Prisons and Partners do not have any companies operating in Chiadzwa Diamond Fields,” he said.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti had in the past accused Anjin of failing to channel its revenue accrued from the sale of diamonds to the Treasury.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
