Denford Magora's Latest Zimbabwe News Blog

Rough diamonds from Marange: the Zimbabwe government is riding roughshod over a court decision for their company, ZMDC, to vacate the diamond claims owned by Africa Consolidated Resources (ACR). The company now says it will prosecute the new partners that the government have brought in to develop the fields together with ZMDC. It appears diamonds will be the curse of Zimbabwe, with the Marange Diamond Fields openly being carved up now. There are specific areas that are known by the locals as belonging to specific politicians. These areas have been fenced off. Under such circumstances, there is no hope that the law will actually prevail. Mugabe knows the language of intimidation and force very well. Harare, Zimbabwe, 22 November 2009 The Zimbabwe government-owned Zimbabwe Minerals Development Corporation (ZMDC) is refusing to comply with a High Court Order for it to vacate the Marange Diamond Fields and let the owner of the claim, Africa Consolidated Resources, move back in to start ope...

These diamond panners from Marange have all but disappeared from the scene as two new companies are now authorised to operate. However, there is more to it than first meets the eye, with one of the two companies still waiting to be given the go-ahead and another, said to be army-owned, already processing thousands of tonnes of ore a day. Harare, Zimbabwe, 14 November 2009 The Government of Zimbabwe, in a desperate bid to hoodwink the Kimberley Certification Scheme, has set up a shadowy company and given it a licence to mine diamonds at the super-rich Chiadzwa Diamond Fields. Government announced a few weeks ago that it had now licenced two investors to help the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) exploit Chiadzwa and there are now frantic propaganda efforts to make it appear as though things have been regularised there. But informed sources say that of the two companies said to have been licenced by the government of Zimbabwe, one is owned by the defence forces of Zimbabwe ...

This is the best that Zimbabwe can do: licensing small scale gold and diamond miners who get robbed blind by the political connected and cross-border conman. The fruits of their labour is largely bought for song and spirited out of the country. Zimbabwe itself does not benefit. This is unlikely to change, as mining companies are still operating at 25% capacity or less, despite the promises of the Inclusive Government in April this year Harare, Zimbabwe, 07 October 2009 Gold prices shot to over US$1000 an ounce yesterday on the international market as investors fled a sinking US dollar. There were also rumours that China and Middle Eastern countries had met to conspire to dump US dollars as the pricing currency for oil. Gold mining companies everywhere are celebrating. The Rand in South Africa will now almost certainly strengthen significantly, as it does whenever gold prices firm. But Zimbabwe, with gold deposits that have been officially estimated to last more than 75 years if mined t...

Robert "The Solution" Mugabe today finally opened parliament with the effects of his recent Botox treatment very much in evidence, looking chubby about the cheeks and healthy. His speech was largely a load of nonsense, except for the revelation that the Constitution-making process will now be controlled not by parliament, but the Inclusive Government itself. It is sleight of hand move that few people even realise is happening. Harare, Zimbabwe, 06 October 2009 After giving the legislature the run around since mid-September, saying he was too busy to officially open parliament, Robert "The Solution" Mugabe finally opened Parliament a few moments ago here in Harare. The Service Chiefs and Defence Forces commanders were out in full force, standing to Mugabe's right throughout the address as he sat in the Speaker's Chair. Morgan Tsvangirai attended the opening for the first time, sitting with the President of the Senate, Edna Madzongwe, Didymus Mutasa (who said ...

In a remote corner of Zimbabwe, the true worth of a vast new diamond field emerges. Robert Mugabe's response? To allow his mutinous military to enslave villagers as miners and seize the profits - and destroy fragile protocols against blood diamonds. Foreign Reporter of the Year Dan McDougall and photographer Robin Hammond risked their lives to get dramatic first-hand evidence of the unimaginable suffering of the miners for Live magazine. Their despatch poses the question - can you go into your local jewellers with a clear conscience ever again? Harare, Zimbabwe, 21 September 2009 The mailashas emerge as cautiously as impala from the shadows of scorched yellow kikuyu grass that fringes the long highway to Mutare. Their name translates as 'smugglers'. It's our first sight of them. There are three in all and they're no more than 14 years old. They reach out into the road at the approach of our slowing BMW and take a deadly gamble, forming their fingers into a distinct...