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(TALKZIMBABWE) De Beers, ACR looted Zim diamonds: Pres Mugabe

De Beers, ACR looted Zim diamonds: Pres Mugabe
By: Philip Murombedzi
Posted: Sunday, March 7, 2010 7:06 pm

LOOTED: De Beers and ACR looted Zim diamonds for 15 years

MINING companies like De Beers and African Consolidated Resources looted diamonds in the Marange district of Manicaland for many years lying to the Zimbabwean government that they were prospecting in that area, says President Robert Mugabe.

Speaking to journalists on the 4th of March, to commemorate the day his Zanu PF party won a decisive victory against the apartheid Rhodesian Front government of Ian Douglas Smith, President Mugabe shed light on the contentious issue of diamond mining at Marange and how previous claim owners, including De Beers, had looted the valuable mineral for over 15 years under the guise of prospecting and research.

President Mugabe said government was not in a war with companies, that is why these companies and other British companies can still operate in Zimbabwe.

He added that Zimbabwe only had a bilateral dispute with British Labour government of previous leader Tony Blair and now Gordon Brown.

“We have more than 400 British companies, but we have not touched them because we have not quarrelled with them.

“We are quarrelling with the British government,” explained the President.

He expressed hope that the country would be able to sell its diamonds now that it had complied with all demands of the Kimberly Process Certification.

He praised Russia and China for vetoing a proposal by Britain and the United States to impose United Nations sanctions against Zimbabwe.

“We are grateful to Russia and China for vetoing the sanctions motion.

“If we had money, we could challenge the sanctions illegally imposed on Zimbabwe by the West at the International Court (of Justice),” said President Mugabe.

He said there was unanimity in the inclusive Government on the recently published Indigenisation and Empowerment Regulations.

He said the principals were in agreement that locals were supposed to be the owners of resources although there were concerns that the enunciated empowerment policies could drive away investors.

“When we discuss issues, we don’t seem to disagree much; for example, on indigenisation, the policy of empowerment.

“We enunciated it a long time ago in line with the principle of sovereignty.

“It is the expression of our sovereignty.

“You get from the side of the MDC views that perhaps it could drive away investment.

“Some say it is about how we will apply it that is important, others don’t want it at all, but no one is opposed to the ownership of resources.”

The Zimbabwean government cancelled ACR's title to diamond deposits in Marange and took ownership of all the diamonds that had been mined by that company.

Labels: AFRICAN CONSOLIDATED RESOURCES PLC, DEBEERS, DIAMONDS, MUGABE, NEOCOLONIALISM, SANCTIONS, ZDERA

posted by MrK @ 9:58 AM