Seal off Chiadzwa diamond fields

THE Chiadzwa diamond fields in Marange are a strategic national resource which should be jealously guarded to ensure that the country benefits from the immense value of the precious gems.

Since the coming on-board of the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Mining Company which is now extracting the gems on behalf of the nation things have changed for the better.

The operations of the company are more transparent and people now have confidence that the wealth that is going to be realised from the sale of the diamonds will impact their lives positively.

However, despite all these good things that have raised the hopes of many, the issue of illegal diamond panners who constantly force their way into the fields and steal the national resource under the cover of darkness is worrisome.

It is more disturbing when law enforcement agents, who are supposed to keep an eye and ward off trespassers, join the bandwagon of looters who are stealing the gems.

Elsewhere in this issue we carry a worrying story in which 10 law enforcement agents teamed up with more than 100 illegal diamond panners to steal tonnes of diamond ore from Chiadzwa.

The rogue law enforcement agents, whom we believe were acting to fulfil their own personal missions, put in bad light the reputation of their otherwise professional organisations that are working around the clock to maintain law and order in the country.

This case is now under investigation and we believe that our detectives will bring to book all those implicated and let them appear before the courts of law.

Many would also want to see punitive measures being taken against those rogue officers who acted outside their constitutional mandate and turned into armed robbers using service arsenal.

Yes, the Chiadzwa diamond fields are vast and difficult to seal completely but we believe that if more resources are channelled towards beefing up security, more will be achieved to plug the leakages.

ZDCD chief executive officer, Dr Moris Mpofu, was spot on when he said the company was now using drones to conduct aerial surveillance.

More needs to be done during the night because this is the time that illegal panners sneak in to loot.

There is need to light up the whole area, erect razor wire around hot spots as well as increase the number of security guards on patrols.

The country has invested heavily to extract the diamonds as evidenced by the importation of heavy duty plant equipment to carry out conglomerate mining and thus all this investment must not be derailed by a bunch of criminals who want to land their hands on a classified national resource.

Zimbabweans want to derive meaningful benefits from these diamonds and the new political dispensation is doing everything possible to make that dream possible.

The courts of law must also descend heavily on people found in possessions of diamonds without licences.

Harsh sentences must be handed down on those who contravene the Precious Minerals Act in order to send the right signal to would be offenders.

Illegal diamond panners are a menace in Chiadzwa because those caught are walking scot free.

A tough stance is needed to arrest the diamond field invasions and protect the national resource from criminals.