MANICALAND Provincial Affairs minister Ellen Gwaradzimba yesterday blasted individuals who were accumulating wealth through corrupt deals in the diamond sector.
BY KENNETH NYANGANI
She made the remarks at the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company all-stakeholders’ diamond security feedback meeting in Mutare, where she also urged Zimbabweans to shun individualism.
“We need to work hard as a company so that there (are) no leakages in the diamond sector. We are here at the meeting to share ideas and offer constructive criticism so that we have a credible diamond sector,” she said.
“We are aware that there are individuals who are accumulating wealth through corrupt means and I begin to wonder if they will (ever) get tired of accumulating wealth.
“Wealth is for all people in the country and I don’t know where the culture of individualism came from in this country. Let us have morals and values that guide our conduct.”
Gwaradzimba has been making headlines of late over Farwell Coffee Estates, a coffee farm in Chipinge, which her son is eyeing for takeover from a white commercial farmer.
Mines minister Winston Chitando, in a speech read on his behalf by his deputy, Polite Kambamura, said the diamond sector in the country should implement credible internal controls to plug diamond leakages.
“All players in the diamond sector are obliged to implement credible internal controls in order to facilitate for optimum diamond security and accounting systems,” Chitando said.
He implored the use of proper internal security to ensure accountability and an immediate end to leakages.
Centre for Natural Resources and Governance director Farai Maguwu said no amount of security would stop the invasion of Marange diamond fields by artisanal miners.
“I like the speech by both (ministers). There is need to rethink security in the context of Marange diamonds.
Security is a tough task, but there is no amount of security that can stop artisanal miners from invading Marange,” he said.
“What can government do at the moment? They should create space for artisanal miners and allow them to operate legally and ensure that the diamonds are sold to the State and have a win-win situation.”
