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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
Political
overhaul key to Zim diamond success
Alex Bell, SW Radio Africa
April 17, 2013
http://www.swradioafrica.com/2013/04/17/political-overhaul-key-to-zim-diamond-success/
A complete overhaul
of Zimbabwe’s political framework has been described as the
key to unlocking the country’s true diamond potential, which
remains under a cloud of corruption and suspicion.
Noted human
rights defender Farai Maguwu, who is the Director of the Centre
for Natural Resource Governance, made these comments during an interview
with SW Radio Africa on Tuesday. He was explaining how the Zimbabwe
Diamond Policy, adopted by the government last year, is not enough
to ensure the diamond sector becomes a transparent, accountable,
beneficial one.
The Centre this
week released a full analysis of the Diamond Policy, stating that
while the Policy is a good starting point to improve governance
in Zimbabwe’s diamond, it does need revision. The Centre states
in its analysis key
issues remain unaddressed, namely investor identification, revenue
transparency, community participation, mine closure, environmental
impacts and access to information, among other things.
Maguwu told
SW Radio Africa that the major problem in the sector is a result
of a lack of political will, which is preventing proper governance
and oversight in the industry.
“It is
an issue of politics. I have always said that Marange
(diamond fields) should not be seen as an island, because it
is a part of Zimbabwe that is experiencing the same governance problems
in every sector in the country. Unless there is a turnaround in
the way we think and the way we do things politically, there won’t
be the quick turnaround we need,” Maguwu said.
He added: “We
need political will; we need good leaders who have the interests
of citizens at heart. Not the current situation where we have unpatriotic
elites who are doing things for themselves and not for the people.”
Maguwu also
explained that aside from the ‘internal’ problems dogging
the industry, there are also external factors.
“We have
(diamond) dealers who are taking advantage of the weak political,
institutional, legislation and policy framework in Zimbabwe to do
underhand deals and in the process are prejudicing Zimbabwe of millions
of dollars,” Maguwu explained.
He said that
while the Diamond Policy is an acknowledgment by the government
of the need for such a policy, there is still c critical need for
revision.
“The Policy
does not show that government has learned from it past mistakes
… I don’t think we have addressed the fundamental problems
and checks and balance in whole value chain,” Maguwu said.
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