The Marange-Zimunya community has threatened to stop all diamond mining activities in Chiadzwa to compel firms operating in the area to honour their US$50 million pledge to the community share ownership scheme.
There are five diamond mining companies operating in Chiadzwa and all have failed to honour the US$50 million pledge to the community share ownership scheme.
Acting Chief Marange said traditional leaders cannot stop the community any more from interfering with mining activities as the diamond companies appear to be disregarding authorities of the land.
The Chairman of the Marange-Zimunya Community Share Ownership Scheme, Chief Zimunya said there is no excuse for diamond mining companies to fail to pay their dues to the trust as the companies are extracting the resource day and night.
The Minister of State for Manicaland Province, Mandi Chimene said government should put punitive measures to force the mining companies to comply.
The Marange-Zimunya Community Share Ownership Scheme was launched by President Robert Mugabe in July 2012 and on the occasion, the diamond mining companies pledged US$50 million.
Only US$400 000 has been released.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Walter Chidhakwa has blamed the previous Ministers of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment for not following proper procedures on the Marange-Zimunya Community Share Ownership Trust.
Chidhakwa said there is so much confusion in the whole issue, hence the need to bring all stakeholders together and deliberate on the way forward.
“There is so much confusion and there is need to correct some of the things which were not done properly as miners maintain they were not consulted, hence non-movement for the community share trust,” he said.
This response came after the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment chaired by Gokwe Nembudziya legislator, Justice Mayor Wadyajena summoned Minister Chidhakwa to give his side of the story.
“We have heard about US$10 million meant for all companies or it was meant for one company as literature also points different figures of between US$5 million and US$10 million. Things have not been done properly,” said Wadyajena.
Legislators took the minister to task by producing correspondence between the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and the Ministry of Youth Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment.
In all the circus, the biggest losers are the local people as the Marange-Zimunya Community Share Ownership Trust has failed to take off owing to non-funding.