Villagers barter diamonds for food and water as frenzy intensifies

By Violet Gonda
23 October 2006

Thousands of people are flocking to remote Chiyadzwa communal lands in the Eastern Highlands after villagers were given the go-ahead to mine diamonds from claims owned by Consolidated Resources Africa, last month. Children are said to be skipping schools and villagers are rushing to the mountainside in search of the precious stones.

Journalist Vincent Kahiya visited the area and wrote; “The scene in the field is that of mayhem, social decadence, entrepreneurial theft and all the crookedness that obtains when leaders temporarily suspend the law to allow madness to take control.”

Prosper Mutseyami, an opposition official from Manicaland who visited the area last Sunday when MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai held a rally in Mutare West said; “I am sure the people who are there might come up to about seven or ten thousand people… doing the digging for the diamonds.”

Miners are supposed to be selling the rocks to the Minerals Marketing Corporation - who buy the stones on behalf of the government - but most people prefer to sell the precious stones on the black market. Mutseyami said people who have travelled from many parts of the country; “Go to the highway along Chakohwa and Hot Springs tarred road where they will sell the diamonds to better buyers, who would give them a better price.”

He said most of them are bartering. “Someone will give you a diamond, maybe 10 or 6 of those pieces, and you get a goat. Somebody will be given 2 or 3 pieces then you will be given chicken. Somebody will be given 2 or 1 pieces then you will be given bread; because there is a scarcity of food and water within that area,” he said. A bucket of water is said to cost a piece of a diamond.

The state newspaper said diggers were seen selling rough diamonds to dealers sitting in cars, some of them with South African license plates. Many of the diggers were reportedly from neighbouring Mozambique.

Even though the stones should have brought wealth to this area there in no development taking place. Instead prostitution and degradation of the environment has become rampant in Chiyadzwa. It’s become a free-for-all and there is no control as ancient trees are being cut down because people are digging everywhere.

Although Chiyadzwa communal lands, which is situated in Mutare West under Chief Maranga, has previously been a neglected route the diamond frenzy has meant that it has become a busy transport route. Transport operators are said to be “making a killing” transporting informal traders in search of the minerals to the area.

But sadly the area is now a hotbed of petty crimes and prostitution, with youths spending most of their proceeds on alcohol.