The Sunday News
Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
ZIMBABWE will not be on the agenda when the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) meets for its Intersessional meeting in Mumbai, India from tomorrow, with Government soon to make pronouncement on policy guidelines regarding the future sale of diamonds.
In an interview with the Zimbabwe Television Network last week, Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando said although Zimbabwe will be a participant at the meeting, set to take place from tomorrow to Friday, the country would not be singled out for discussion. This is despite spirited lobbying from some civic society organisations that wanted the country’s diamonds flagged for alleged human rights abuses.
Earlier this year, Zimbabwe Centre for Natural Resource Governance presented a case for Zimbabwe at a United Nations plenary meeting in New York, urging the organisation to classify the country’s gems as conflict diamonds.
Minister Chitando said Zimbabwe would be taking part in the meeting as an ordinary participant, with the Government set to make a pronouncement on the sale of diamonds soon. The Intersessional meeting will discuss the latest developments in the implementation of the Kimberly Certification Process and wider diamond governance, as well as the on-going reform agenda of the Kimberly Process.
“For the KPCS, Zimbabwe is not really a matter for discussion per ser. So it’s really the general normal discussions and we’re fully prepared in terms of the KPCS discussions and we really look forward to participating in the discussion but Zimbabwe is not a topic of discussion.
“In terms of the selling an announcement will be made soon in terms of the new formula for selling our diamonds,” Minister Chitando said.
Minister Chitando said the Government was seized with improving the value addition processes of not only diamonds but the country’s other precious minerals.
“We have come up with a number of policy pronouncements in terms of value addition for each mineral. I mean for platinum we have indicated the steps towards the establishment of a base and precious metal refinery. For diamonds you may have seen the adverts in terms of coming up with a diamond value management centre.
“We have also seen the advert in terms of a gemmology centre. In terms of chrome, there is a pronouncement on stainless steel . . . so each of the minerals has a very clear value addition process,” he said.
After a Cabinet meeting last week, Government announced the establishment of four gold centres, with more set to be rolled out across the country.
Minister Chitando said the gold centres were to the benefit of miners, who could increase their yield and ultimately expand their operations by using Government approved channels.
“The general practice is that the free gold is recovered and the residue is left behind for the miller but the disadvantage of that system is that not sufficient money accrues to the miner to enable him or her to sustain and expand production. Now with this model, we are looking at over 80 percent recovery and that money flows to the miner and that enables him or her to sustain and expand. That’s the first thing.
“But also secondly, there’s capacitation of the miners by the gold centre firstly in terms of the equipment and also secondly in terms of the working capital so that enables the miner to expand his or her operations. There’s also facilitation in terms of the transportation of the ores to the gold centre. So it’s a very nice model,” he said.
