A newly released report by Global Witness confirms our concerns that the Kimberley Process clearance of Marange diamonds for international trade was both premature and ill-advised.

The report exposes how Zimbabwe's army and Central Intelligence Organization, together with named Chinese individuals, are involved in the Marange diamond business in ways that could directly undermine Zimbabwe's democracy.

The report reveals how Sam Pa, a Chinese businessman based in Hong Kong has given off-budget financing to the CIO and how members of the CIO are directors of a group of companies, Sino Zimbabwe Development.

The named CIO operatives include: Gift Kalisto, Machengete, identified as a Director of Finance and Administration in the CIO, Pritchard Zhou, a former Minister-Counselor at the Zimbabwean Embassy in South Africa and Masimba Ignatius Kamba.

Key recommendations from Global Witness include:

the reform of Zimbabwe’s partisan security forces requires democratic and civilian control of their budgets;

that Zimbabwe’s Government of National Unity (GNU) should pass legislation banning serving and recently retired members of the military, police, the CIO and other members of the security services from control over, or beneficial ownership of, mining companies;

that consumers should not buy diamonds originating from Zimbabwe’s Marange mines until they can be certain they will not fund the Zimbabwean secret police, military and police;

and that companies should conduct due diligence investigations into the source of their rough diamonds. Download full report here

Dewa Mavhinga - Southern Africa Co-ordinator, Crisis In Zimbabwe Coalition