Denford Magora's Latest Zimbabwe News Blog

Four illegal diamond miners are in police custody facing charges of murder after they killed a fellow diamond panner at the Chiadzwa Diamond Fields (above) in Marange, Eastern Zimbabwe, on Monday. Police openly admitted today that, although there is strong presence of armed forces at the diamond fields, illegal mining is still going on. Harare, Zimbabwe, 03 September 2009 Four illegal gold dealers have been arrested for murder at the Diamond Fields of Chiadzwa in Eastern Zimbabwe. The murdered diamond panner was accused of having stolen cattle by the accused. The four accused are said to have met up with their fellow illegal diamond miner, who has not been named by police, at Chiadzwa diamond fields where they intended to pan for diamonds. Upon meeting him they accused him of having stolen two cattle on Monday afternoon this week. He reportedly denied the charge and they started beating him up. They used logs and sticks to assault him. After that, reports say they force-marched the man...

Roy Bennett, seen here on his release from prison on March 12 this year, is set to have another set of charges levelled against him. This time, he will be accused of dabbling in illegally dealing in diamonds from the Marange Diamond Field in Manicaland, his home province. Harare, Zimbabwe, 09 August 2009 Roy Bennett is having another case cooked up for him by ZANU PF in order to ensure that he goes to jail. So determined is ZANU PF on the matter that even today, in article discussing the "outstanding issues", state media mentions that there has been agreement on Ambassadors and governors to be sworn in but makes no mention whatsoever of Roy Bennett. The case being cooked up against Bennett is as follows: The state will allege that Bennett, who is from Manicaland province, was an "illegal diamond mining baron". Patently false witnesses have been lined up to give depositions that Bennett hired and employed several diamond miners (makorokoza) at the Marange Diamond Fi...