Harare – As the inquest into the illicit mining of diamonds in Zimbabwe deepens, security forces have been sucked into the saga that preju...
- Advertisement -
Harare – As the inquest into the illicit mining of diamonds in Zimbabwe deepens, security forces have been sucked into the saga that prejudiced the state of revenue – only realising a measly $282 million in six years through taxes and dividends from diamond firms that operated in the Chiadzwa diamond fields – against an estimated $15 billion of extracted minerals - much of which cannot be accounted for.
Over six years of operations, dividends generated $188 million for Government while taxes raked in $94,8 million. Zimbabwe is estimated to have mined 16,9 million carats in 2013, representing 13 percent of global rough diamond supply; 12 million carats in 2012; 8,7 million carats in 2011, and 8,2 million carats in 2010.
The average price for the diamonds was $54 per carat while some were sold at about $100 per carat. and seven private firms – Anjin Investments, Marange Resources, Diamond Mining Company (DMC), Gye Nyame Resources, Kusena Diamonds, Jinan Mining Ltd and Mbada Diamonds – were licensed to mine diamonds at Chiadzwa.
Government, through the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC), had entered into a 50 /50 joint venture arrangement with the private investors in the diamond mining projects. Portfolio committee chairperson Temba Mliswa pressed ZMDC to reveal the monetary value that accrued to Government from the Marange venture from 2009 to 2014.
Then ZMDC board chairperson Godwills Masimirembwa declined to answer the question and passed the buck to a finance official, who said in 2009, no miner declared a dividend since most of them were still setting up on the ground.
In 2010, diamond miners declared $51,8 million in dividends while $73,5 million was declared in 2011. During the 2012, $39,2 million was declared; in 2013 ($15 million) and in 2014 ($9 million) was declared.
 |
| ZRP Clandestinely Mined Diamonds in Zimbabwe |
“So in total, $188 million was received by the Zimbabwe Government while another $188 million went to the JV partners,” said the official, without explaining the plunge in the value of dividends declared over the period 2010 to 2014.
In terms of corporate tax, the miners paid $34,8 million in 2010; $11,4 million in 2011; $24 million in 2012; $17,8 million in 2013 and $6,9 million in 2014.
Cumulatively, the firms contributed $94,8 million in the period 2010 to 2014. The revelations by ZMDC come despite claims by Mbada that it paid $472 million in royalties, dividends and other taxes between 2010 and 2015.
ZMDC said the dividends and corporate tax represented combined amounts paid by Mbada, DMC, Jinan and Marange. However, a visibly incensed Mliswa demanded to know why other companies did not contribute to the fiscus through taxes and dividends, to which the ZMDC finance official could not give a satisfactory explanation.
“The ones that contributed, like I said are Mbada, Jinan, DMC and Marange and these figures are based on audited financial statements. Mr chairman, we do not have the financial statements for those entities. The ones I am presenting are the entities that presented financial statements.
“We are not in possession of financial statements for those entities that did not pay tax, possibly the entities can present on their own,” said the official.
It took the intervention of Godwills Masimirembwa, who was ZMDC board chairperson at the time, to further breakdown what transpired. Masimirembwa said one of the companies, Rera Diamonds, had not started mining during the period under review “so they did not generate any money”.
“Kusena Diamonds were still carrying out exploratory work so to speak, they had really not started mining (while) Gye Nyame had started mining and stockpiling, but there were issues that happened, I think that they will speak for themselves exactly what happened, but the report we have is that one day, they were visited by police and keys to their box that contained diamonds were confiscated,” said Mr Masimirembwa.
It is alleged that the ZRP, which held 20 percent shareholding in Gye Nyame, dispatched eight heavily armed police to swoop on one of the shareholders, Itai Munyeza and demanded keys to the box where diamonds were kept. The Centeral Intteligence Organisation (CIO) also understook dimond operations in the arera.
Mr Munyeza told Parliament that he was force-marched to a building near the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) in central Harare where the police details kept demanding the keys claiming they were wanted by former Police Commissioner General, Dr Augustine Chihuri.
It is understood that the diamonds were later sold but no one really knows what happened to the proceeds. However, former Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo, secretary in the ministry Mr Melusi Matshiya and the Zimbabwe Republic Police command told Parliament that they were not aware that the police mined diamonds at Chiadzwa.
Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga, his three deputies, Innocent Matibiri, Levi Sibanda and Josephine Shambare said they were not aware that the police had a 20 percent stake in Gye Nyame which mined the precious stones.
They made the claims before a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy chaired by Norton legislator Mr Temba Mliswa. The committee is investigating the mining of diamonds at Chiadzwa during Mugabe’s era.
Former ZRP Commissioner-General Dr Augustine Chihuri absconded the hearing. The police said they were failing to locate him. In his evidence, Mr Matshiya said the police were supposed to have briefed him after they got a concession at Chiadzwa for accountability purposes to Treasury.
“There are donations that are made to the police, even like cellphones, desks. They will declare them to me and I will apprise Treasury about it. In this instance this did not take place. I am aware that the minister was not aware. If he was aware he did not create awareness to me so that I can have financial stewardship.”
Retired police commissioner Mekia Tanyanyiwa said he was responsible for the deployment of the police and had briefed DCG Matibiri as his immediate boss upon being instructed by former Comm-Gen Chihuri.
Matibiri eventually admitted that he had been briefed by Comm Tanyanyiwa, but said it was odd for him to be apprised by his subordinate as he expected Comm-Gen Chihuri to tell him.
Comm Tanyanyiwa said Commissioner Grace Ndebele and himself appointed verbally to sit in Gye Nyame. Earlier on, one of Gye Nyame directors, Mr Itai Munyeza, said he was forced to surrender keys to the vaults containing diamonds by armed police.
Mr Munyeza said he did not know what became of the stockpiled diamonds. Other former Cabinet ministers who attended the hearing were Mr Walter Chidhakwa, Didymus Mutasa and Dr Sydney Sekeramayi. - The Herald
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
Tinzwei Is A Worth Voyage For Those In Pursuit For Up-To-Date World Events.
Read More At The Online Coronavirus Portal Or Use The 24-Hour Public Hotline:
South Africa: 0800 029 999 or just Send Hie to 0600 123 456 on WhatsApp
No comments