RE: Diamonds about to land21 Feb 2020 08:40
…Katanga joint venture deal for Chiadzwa villagers near conclusion
Ngoni Dapira
WE will not see artisanal mining of diamonds anytime soon, but more of joint venture companies that will be working in the Chiadzwa area, the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) acting chief executive officer Roberto De Pretto has said.
This was said during a recently held media tour in Chiadzwa for members of the Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (ZINEF).
The call for artisanal mining in the diamond sector has been loud ever since ZCDC took over diamond mining operations in 2016 and government has been mooting it as a move to quiet down the local communities who have in past years expressed discontentment that they have remained poor despite owning one of the most valued mineral deposit in the country, to the extent that in 2018 some of the villagers staged a demonstration against ZCDC and accused the company of failing to create jobs and eradicating poverty in the area among other issues.
In response to a question on progress towards the initiating artisanal diamond mining, De Pretto said joint ventures were best to avoid violating the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), citing that joint ventures were better off as a form of organised artisanal mining that ensures that all proceeds are sold through formal channels to avoid leakages.
“In terms of artisanal mining, the diamond policy does not specify that as it is very different from gold mining. Because of the Kimberly Process (KPCS) it’s very difficult to control the source of those diamonds and we have to be absolutely sure where those diamonds are coming from, that people are not bringing them into this country in Chiadzwa from the DRC or any of the conflict areas. Otherwise, this would be the end of Zimbabwe being able to sell diamonds, because we will be seen as laundering conflict diamonds,” he said.
He added that they are now in the process of finalizing the joint venture agreement that will see the Chiadzwa community to have ownership in a diamond concession in Chiadzwa.
“There is a joint venture. Vast Resources is one of the companies that is part of this joint venture and they formed a company called Katanga. Katanga has been turned into a joint venture agreement which we are in the process of finalizing, so that the community will actually have ownership in a diamond concession in the Chiadzwa area,” said De Pretto.
Roberto De Pretto
The Romanian company, Vast Resources, has a long-standing presence on the ground in both Romania and in Zimbabwe. However, Easterntimeszim has learnt that whilst ZCDC is claiming that they are still finalizing the joint venture, according to the Vast Resources profile on its website it appears as if it is already operational and the deal in Chiadzwa is complete, which raises eyebrows about the true nature of the venture.
“The Company’s priority is on the advancement of its two primary value drivers, the Baita Plai Polymet
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