MUTARE– Diamond mining companies which operated in Chiadzwa were not subjected to proper licensing procedures as they entered into classified secret deals with the President and Minister of Mines, 263chat has learnt.
During her maiden rally in the eastern border town attended by over 5000 people, Zimbabwe People First president Joice Mujuru denied any involvement in clandestine diamond deals and revealed how licences were secretly agreed.
Mujuru former vice president to Robert Mugabe said her portfolio in government during her tenure only had social ministries excluding financial ministries.
She said all mining agreement were struck secretly by the President, Minister of Mines and the shoddy partners who contributed to the monumental loot of diamond revenue estimated at $15 billion.
“I was a Vice President concerned with ministries that we may call social, I did not oversee financial ministries like mining.
“We want to ensure that when people are moved it should not be mere relocation but should ensure that they are settled properly, with sustainable livelihood means like irrigation schemes. We wanted people to benefit from the mining companies, but all this was turned down.
Mujuru questioned the sincerity of her former paymaster in dealing with diamond issues, as she called for a comprehensive audit into the diamond debacle.
She rubbished claims that she directly benefitted from diamonds.
“They then started peddling lies that I was involved in Chiadzwa, but all this was cleared there were companies operating there like Ainjin, who sent them only the President knows because there was no body that processed licenses for them.
“It was only between the President and the Minister only,” she said.
Adding that, “As People First we are saying since you are the one that revealed that $15 billion was lost in revenue from Chiadzwa diamonds, now Chinamasa (Finance Minister) is claiming that it is wrong costing.
“Should it just end there with that flimsy explanation because even us we want to know even with wrong costing, since we know the $15 billion figure where it and the rest of the uncounted losses is?
“It’s easy we are not the first country to discover diamonds, the likes of Botswana and South Africa also mine diamonds like we do, have we then failed to find someone who can evaluate our diamonds.
“How can we just send them out and let them be evaluated outside the country? Who is there to represent our interests as the diamonds are sold that’s the biggest question,” she said.
She also called for police to respect fellow citizens, urging government to address the economy without suppressing dissenting voices.
Mujuru who is liberation fighter said war veterans were welcome to her party dismissing rumours of benefits cuts as mere politicking. She said no war veterans had a right “to join the party to work towards realising the gains of the liberation struggle.”
