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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
Marange situation conflicting with KP Process ruling
Zimbabwe Human
Rights Association (ZimRights)
July 13, 2011
The unilateral
decision by the Chair of the Kimberly Process' made on the
23rd of June 2011 to allow Zimbabwe to export diamonds without any
monitoring of human rights abuses or evidence that Zimbabwe is complying
with the KP standards "falls far short of what is needed to
protect civilians in the country" and goes against the very
spirit and purpose" of the monitoring body.
Commentaries
by Canadian advocacy group, Partnership Africa Canada, and the Human
Rights Watch were driven by a genuine concern about what everyone,
including ordinary Zimbabweans, have been complaining about concerning
the Chiadzwa
diamond fields. Since their discovery, the diamond fields have
been a source of very bad news on gross human rights abuses occurring
there.
A few days after
the green light to the Zimbabwean government to go ahead and sell
their diamonds, a diamond panner from Ngaone in Chipinge, Mr. John
Manono died
at Mutare Provincial Hospital after his private parts were mauled
by dogs set on him by guards manning the Mbada Diamond claims at
Chiadzwa recently.
Our source revealed
that John sustained serious injuries, but could not seek medial
treatment for fear of being arrested, as injured panners are required
to produce police reports to access treatment. As his condition
worsened John was taken to Mutare Provincial Hospital on 26 June
2011 by his sister where he later died.
This happened
exactly the very same day when Tafadzwa Musarara, secretary general
of the Affirmative Action Group regarded Mathieu Yamba, chairman
of the Kimberly Process' unilateral endorsement of the export
of Zimbabwe diamonds as "victory", declaring that the
invovled companies were in compliance with the body's requirements.
ZimRights unreservedly
and strongly condemns the lawlessness that continues to prevail
at the Chiadzwa diamond fields and which government continues to
sweep under the carpet. To make matters worse the Chiadzwa community
has been relegated to the periphery and has not been allowed to
enjoy the benefits of the resources discovered in their vicinity.
The politicisation of the matter has for long contributed to the
failure by the KP process to come up with a decisive way forward
on the matter. ZimRights, therefore, appeals to all stakeholders
to seriously consider allowing transparency in the exploitation
of the Chiadzwa diamond resources with a view to ensuring that the
proceeds of the sale of diamonds contribute to the immediate Chiadzwa
community as well as to national revenue.
Visit the Zimbabwe
Human Rights Association (ZimRights) fact
sheet
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