THE Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) has
suspended 40 employees in an intense crackdown meant to halt rampant diamond
theft at Chiadzwa, The Manica Post can reveal.
Employees from different departments who were allegedly
working in connivance were implicated in diamond theft which was exposed
following the radical implementation of tight diamond security mechanisms.
The tight security measures were mooted at diamond security
stakeholder meetings involving the country’s uniformed forces and the
President’s Office.
ZCDC public relations executive Mr Sugar Chagonda confirmed
the suspension of the 40 employees implicated in the diamond leakage scam.
Mr Chagonda said the suspended employees were working in
cahoots with illegal miners operating in the Chiadzwa area and some illegal
diamond buyers, in siphoning the precious gems.
“Yes, it is true that we have suspended more than 40
employees in connection with cases of theft of diamonds. This is a result of
the diamond security stakeholder meetings we are having that involve uniformed
forces as well as the President’s Office.
“As part of the implementation of the recommendations made
at the diamond security stakeholder meetings, we managed to unearth the rampant
theft of diamonds hence the suspension of employees implicated in the scam.
“We discovered that employees were working in cahoots with
artisanal miners operating illegally in Chiadzwa as well as diamond buyers in
siphoning the mineral,” said Mr Chagonda. He said ZCDC was taking the issue of
diamond leakage seriously.
“We are really serious about the clampdown on diamond
leakage. We surely cannot tolerate a situation where the nation is prejudiced
of revenue by some unscrupulous elements in our midst,” he said.
Recently, 10 criminals allegedly bulldozed their way into
the Chiadzwa diamond fields and looted two dump trucks of diamond ore before
vanishing into the darkness.
The criminals, suspected to be highly trained and
co-ordinated, allegedly rounded up and disarmed unsuspecting ZCDC security
guards on duty. They allegedly assaulted them before force marching one of them
to what is known as “the RBZ plant” where the diamond ore was stored.
The clampdown on diamond leakage at ZCDC comes on the heels
of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s visit to the mining concern last month where
he warned corrupt elements in the sector that they have no room in the Second
Republic.
“Transparency, accountability, honesty and integrity are
indispensable values for stakeholders in the diamond sector. I am fully aware
of the immense susceptibility to theft and corruption by those in the industry.
The Second Republic will not broker or condone any acts of corruption or
misappropriation of resources that should benefit all the people of our
country. We are wiser now and perpetrators will be dealt with severely,” said
President Mnangagwa.
The clampdown on mineral leakage will go a long way in
helping ZCDC attain its goal to produce 4.1 million carats in 2019. ZCDC
produced 2.8 million carats in 2018.
Notwithstanding the environmental challenges that affected
the mining sector in the last quarter of 2018, chief among them fuel shortages,
limited foreign currency and exchange rate induced inflation, ZCDC managed to
surpass its set target of 2.4 million carats with output of 2.8 million carats.
ZCDC chief executive Dr Morris Mpofu recently told the
media that the company’s transition from alluvial to conglomerate mining, on
the back of investments in new machinery, has also seen projections for output
this year being reviewed to 4.1 million carats.
“There is that need to review the growth prospects of the
sector to unlock more value in the exploration and beneficiation process so we
anticipate a rise in overall output,” said Dr Mpofu.
He said the company is now set to contribute to national
growth and recovery through foreign currency generation, employment creation
and contribution to the fiscus.
“We hope that the success we have achieved now is what we
want and the future is all about economic growth prospects for the nation,”
added Dr Mpofu.
ZCDC resumed diamond sales in 2018 and has so far invoiced
over US$49 million from diamond tenders held in last quarter of 2018.
It is also expected to continue conducting periodic diamond
tenders in 2019 to sell both its current production and the accumulated stocks.
Manica post
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