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This article participates on the following special index pages:
Marange, Chiadzwa and other diamond fields and the Kimberley Process - Index of articles
Statement on seven priorities for Zimbabwe's diamond revenue
Committee
of the Peoples Charter (CPC)
November 06, 2011
The Committee
of the Peoples Charter (CPC) notes the recent statements made by
the Minister of Mines, Mr. Obert Mpofu on the recent Kimberly Process
meeting in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at which Zimbabwe
was given the go-ahead to sell diamonds
from Marange to world markets at competitive prices. The Honourable
Minister's announcement that Zimbabwe will be able to make
an estimated gross amount of US$2 billion per annum from these diamond
sales is a matter that should be further explained with particular
respect to the national fiscus and the intended priorities as to
how this revenue should be utilized for the public good.
This is particularly
important and urgent due to the fact that the Ministry of Finance
will present the 2012 national budget this month. It is therefore
imperative that this potential revenue be factored into Finance
Minister Tendai Biti's budget for 2012.
In this regard,
it is the CPC's firm view that the revenue acquired by the
state via the sale of diamonds must be directed toward the following
priority areas of our national economy:
1. The establishment
of a social welfare and social benefit grants system for unemployed
citizens, women, physically challenged citizens, the elderly and
socially/economically disadvantaged children/minors.
2. The reintroduction
of free primary school education and the subsidization of all government
secondary schools in relation.
3. The re-introduction
of state subsidized and guaranteed student grants and loans for
all tertiary level students.
4. The provision
of free healthcare for all together with the modernization of all
of our referral and provincial hospitals through the purchase of
the relevant equipment.
5. The refurbishment
of our railway lines, trains and coaches to provide public transport
for both rural and urban areas.
6. The completion
of the dualisation of the Harare-Bulawayo; Harare-Beitbridge highways.
7. The provision
of clean and safe water for all citizens through the refurbishment
of all urban water supply systems and the expansion of borehole
water availability in all rural areas, together with the completion
of the Matebeleland- Zambezi Water Project.
Where the government
fails to commit diamond revenue to these six priority areas, it
will be a travesty of social and economic justice. The CPC will
be tracking the usage of this revenue with the intention of bringing
the government to account and in order to curb corruption as well
as the misplacement of priorities by the government.
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