16 illegal miners, 4 police and 1 horse dead after fight over diamonds

By Tererai Karimakwenda
23 May, 2008

We have received reports that at least 16 illegal diamond miners, 4 police officers and a horse were killed during a fight that occurred last week in the Chiadzwa district of Manicaland. Our Mutare contact Brendon Dhliwayo said the deaths have not been publicised and others have occurred since. The situation in this area where diamonds were discovered last year is tense because the government is trying to contain illegal miners who are desperate villagers with no income. Unemployment in Zimbabwe is over 80% so many people are surviving by finding products to sell on the black market.

According to Dhliwayo, the illegal miners want the government to allow them to make a living by selling diamonds to any interested buyers. But the area was cordoned off by the police last December and the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation took over mining operations. Dhliwayo said top cabinet officials and police and army details have been abusing their positions and benefiting from the diamonds. He alleged that they send immediate family members to collect diamonds from the illegal miners and from the area, some coming from as far as Matabeleland. And the government trained youth militia are being used to provide security.

Dhliwayo accused them of using brutal force to control the illegal miners. He said they sometimes allow a few of the villagers into the fenced off area to mine, then share the profits with them. The deaths are believed to have occurred during a violent fight that took place about ten days ago. Dhliwayo said another miner was shot in the knee last week and he died on the way to the hospital.

A parliamentary committee has been investigating allegations against top government officials accused of involvement in illegal mining. There are reports that many witnesses are too scared to testify against them. The Zimbabwe government has also been accused of selling illegal diamonds on the international market, violating global standards that were put in place to control the sale of minerals.