While revenues from diamond mining have the potential to benefit the people of Zimbabwe, the industry has been and continues to be tainted by corruption and violence.  The industry threatens to undermine movement towards a transparent and accountable police force and unity government.

Millions of dollars have been siphoned off through illegal diamond mining in the Marange diamond fields, located in eastern Zimbabwe. The Marange diamond fields, discovered in 2006, are the source of much controversy over illegal diamond mining including smuggling of diamonds, forced labor and other accounts of corruption.  Following the GPA in 2008, the military took control of the mines on grounds of eliminating illegal mining and trade, however, they have exacerbated the lack of order in the fields.  The unity government should focus on restoring security responsibilities to the police.  According to Human Rights Watch, if the diamond industry was legally regulated and diamond-mining centers were managed in a responsible manner, estimates could amount to $200million a month for the country.  This revenue could fund a significant portion of the unity government’s economic and social reform programs.

Monitoring the diamond industry is important in fostering transparency and accountability.  The most recent unjustified actions taken by authorities to arrest a leading diamond rights researcher raise serious concerns.  Farai Maguwu, director of the Center for Research and Development in Mutare, a civic group investigating human rights abuses in the Marange diamond fields, was arrested on Thursday, June 3 after he handed himself over to the police in Mutare.  The arrest came about following a meeting between Maguwu and Abbey Chikane, the Kimberly Process monitor appointed to monitor Zimbabwe to see if it had ended rights abuses in Chiadzwa, before it can be certified to sell diamonds.  Prior to Maguwu’s arrest, authorities raided his offices, his house and arrested and assaulted some of his relatives the previous week. He was charged with providing false information to Abbey Chikane, information which indicated that human rights abuses were continuing in Chaidzwa.  Police have withheld Maguwu illegally, denied him bail and have kept him in custody beyond the limit of 48 hours.  On Wednesday, July 7, the High Court again denied him bail. These events bring back bad memories of a culture of impunity of Zimbabwe security forces and works against the democratic transition where citizen’s rights are protected.

Controversies over the trade of Zimbabwe’s diamonds remain contested. Kimberly Process reports on the alleged human rights abuses in the region date back to early 2009, yet the Kimberly Process has not come to a consensus on whether to certify Zimbabwe’s diamonds for export and sale on the international markets.  This could potentially undermine the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme, calling into question their ability to set standards in the trade of conflict diamonds.  The decision over whether to certify Zimbabwe’s diamonds was deferred from a meeting among Kimberly members last month and will be discussed at the World Diamond Council in St. Petersburg, Russia, July 14-15.

Diamonds should benefit the people of Zimbabwe.  If exploited responsibly, diamonds can be paramount to the economic transition of the country.  There is an urgent need to ensure accountability and transparency in Zimbabwe’s diamond industry and to ensure that those in power will not abuse control of diamonds. Africa Action’s Director of Campaigns, Briggs Bomba remarked, “A failure to marshal all available resources and speedily improve people’s livelihoods will be a great betrayal to the aspirations of the long suffering people of Zimbabwe.”

Marieka Walsh
 
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