home of the diamond14 Feb 2019 22:04
Diamonds were discovered in the Marange diamond fields (MDF) in June 2006, leading over 30,000 fortune seekers from different parts of the world to flock there. In November 2006, the Zimbabwe government launched " Operation No Illegal Mining, " which led to the violent displacement of artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM) and the takeover of the fields by government forces. Corruption ensued, and the number of illegal ASMs increased to over 36,000 by 2008, prompting the government to launch another operation, coded " Operation You Will Not Return. " In July 2009, official mining licenses were issued to three large-scale mining (LSM) companies to mine in the MDF. Rampant corruption and patronage characterised the license issue such that only those inclined to the ruling party got licenses. As observed by several researchers, the owners of the licensed companies are mainly from the Zimbabwe Central Intelligence Organisation, the National Army, the Air Force, the National Police, and the ruling party's top brass. The companies do not contribute significantly to the treasury. Following an assessment of how events have transpired since the discovery of the diamonds, this paper identifies several constraints to deriving maximum value from the exploitation of the Marange diamonds for the benefit of all Zimbabwean citizens, especially the distressed communities within the Marange mining district. This paper explains how a political environment characterised by corruption and patronage leads to complications in proper mine closure planning and severe damage to the environment. Compelling achievements that are necessary for proper closure planning, envisaged for mining operations in an enabling, free, and fair political environment, are not achievable when mining is done in the opposite political environment. These include redistribution of proceeds from mineral wealth to ensure the establishment of health facilities, including efficient hospitals, clinics, and sewer systems; promotion of education and investment; provision of reliable water supplies, energy, and a sound transportation infrastructure; creation of sports facilities to facilitate growth of sportsmanship; and extension of employment opportunities at all levels in LSM mining operations to communities in which they operate. This lack of redistribution of proceeds from mining presents several issues that negatively impact mining communities after mine closure. This paper details constraints on maximum value realisation and effective closure plan implementation, including political instability, corruption, patronage and rent seeking, bad governance and institutions, unstable policies, lack of strategic planning, and unfavourable relationships between large-scale and small-scale miners. The author proposes several strategies to overcome the constraints for the benefit of all. The strategies include using Zimbabwe's comparative advantages: the presence of the MDF, the biggest find of alluvial diam
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