Government has been urged to appoint a commission of enquiry to initiate a forensic audit of the diamond firms to determine how much revenue the country lost amid allegations pillage in the diamond fields.
This comes as security forces which besieged Chiadzwa diamond fields following a directive for companies mining alluvial diamonds to seize operations are accused of taking bribes to allow illegal paners into mining concessions.
Centre for Natural Resource Governance director Farai Maguwu said this crisis has always been there on a bigger magnitude as he applauded government for stopping mining operations.
“There is a crisis in fact there always has been a crisis on a bigger magnitude because this looting has been going on through these mining companies which failed to remit meaningfully into the fiscus.
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“I support the move by government to step in and stop the looting of diamonds by these mining companies which failed to remit meaningfully into the fiscus,” said Maguwu.
“However this should not end there my suggestion would be for government to appoint an independent commission of enquiry to determine what actually took place at the mines.”
Maguwu said there was need for separate forensic audits for individual companies in order to come up with a comprehensive report.
Maguwu said only a comprehensive report from an independent commission can guide recommendations on how government can proceed with the consolidated company.
“If government appoints an independent commission which can come up with a comprehensive report which is not politicized can consolidation work out, otherwise in this chaos government might rush into making blunders again.
“There have been wild suggestions that Zimbabwe lost as much as $13 billion from the alluvial diamonds and this should be investigated thoroughly,” he said.
Maguwu also said the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme let down the people of Zimbabwe by certifying diamonds coming from corrupt companies.
KPCS was established in 2003 to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the mainstream rough diamonds market by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 55/56 following recommendations.
There are also accusations that security forces are taking bribes to allow illegal paners into mining concessions.
“The Kimberly process basically let the people of Zimbabwe down by certifying diamonds from corrupt companies and known international criminal syndicates.
“They lost it in 2011 when they lifted the ban over diamonds, they aided the looting of our diamonds,” he said.
Government is moving forward with plans to consolidate all mining concessions under one firm the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Mining Company to put in place mechanisms to bring transparency and accountability in the diamond sector.
