Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) West wants KP monitor replaced by Biti

West wants KP monitor replaced by Biti
By: Special report by our staff
Posted: Saturday, June 26, 2010 5:29 am

DESPERATE western countries who want Zimbabwe banned from getting the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme's approval to sell Chiadzwa diamonds wanted Tendai Biti to replace Mr Abbey Chikane as monitor.

Mr Biti, who has no experience in the diamond processing field, was proposed by United States, Israel and Canada as a possible replacement for a diamond professional of known repute, Mr Chikane.

Mr Chikane is the chairman of the South African Diamond Board and is a KPCS appointed monitor. This means the Kimberley Process does not have confidence in its own abilities.

Mr Chikane recently concluded that Zimbabwe was abiding by minimal requirements of KPCS and should be allowed to resume exports of diamonds.

The 75 countries representing the KPCS voted on the issue of whether or not to accept Mr Chikane's report on Zimbabwe at their annual meeting in Tel Aviv. Out of the 75 countries represented, only 4 (US, Australia, Canada and the European Union) blocked Zimbabwe's approval. The EU is represented as a single participant.

KPCS chairman, Boaz Hirsch, an Israeli, then ignored the vote and reminded the members that certification was only possible through consensus and all members have to agree to certify a country. This move was seen as a desperate attempt to block Zimbabwe's certification, despite the overwhelming vote by the members.

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The four opposing western countries, who coincidentally have also imposed (and recently renewed) illegal sanctions against Zimbabwe, argued that Mr Chikane -- the current KPCS monitor -- was "compromised" as he had recommended Zimbabwe's certification. They said he had to be replaced.

The four countries then suggested that Finance Minister Biti act as a monitor, a move vehemently opposed by Mines and Minerals Development Minister, Obert Mpofu. Minister Mpofu said Mr Biti had no experience in diamond mining, or any other form of mining. His sentiments were backed by the other 69 members, including Russia, India and Brazil.

Minister Biti is currently overburdened by demands from Cabinet, the World Bank and IMF, other international donors and NGOs. Last week he stormed out of a Cabinet meeting after all his western-type economic proposals had been rejected, and left for South Africa where he watched World Cup 2010 soccer matches, inorder to "cool down".

US, Australia and Canada then suggested that Centre for Research and Development chairman, Mr Farai Maguwu, who is currently remanded in custody and charged with communicating false information prejudicial to the state regarding activities at Marange diamond fields, be appointed monitor.

This move was also opposed by Minister Mpofu and he was again backed by 71 members of the KPCS.

The three countries then suggested that for Mr Chikane's original recommendations to be accepted, Zimbabwe should cede 1% value of its total diamond exports to US, Australia and Canada through their NGOs. Zimbabwe refused to be bribed to get certification and indicated that the country will start selling diamonds with, or without, the approval of the four western countries.

At that point the talks broke down.

Minister Mpofu argued that Mr Chikane, appointed by the KPCS, had given a favourable report and that was enough for the country to start exporting the precious gem.

The minister also indicated that in future Zimbabwe will polish its own diamonds, since the Kimberly Process only monitors trade of rough, unpolished stones. Minister Mpofu also told The New York Times newspaper this week that Zimbabwe plans to set up diamond polishing plants to reap more benefits from the precious gem.

Asked how Zimbabwe would export its diamonds "without KPCS approval", minister Mpofu told a Times reporter that Mr Chikane was a KPCS monitor and besides: "That's a question for Zimbabwe, not for you."

Inorder to discredit Mr Chikane's comprehensive report on Chiadzwa diamonds, Chaim Even-Zohar, head of the Israeli diamond consultancy, Tacy, which not part of KPCS, was allowed to present his own report -- not commissioned by the Kimberley Process -- to the Tel Aviv meeting.

Even-Zohar called his report a "first-hand investigation of Zimbabwe's diamond fields". His version was "completely different" from the one presented by Mr Chikane, who had access to all areas. Even-Zohar said they were "still human rights violations in Chiadzwa" but fell short of highlighting those violations.

"Presenting some figures on the diamond potential of Zimbabwe, Even-Zohar considered that the country has the potential to become a supplier of some 25 percent of the global diamond supply in terms of value within just a few years," according to a KPCS statement released after Even-Zohar's biased presentation.

The KPCS accepted Even-Zohar's "independent report" and not the report of their own appointed monitor.

Last week, a recognised KPCS civil society participant and partner, Partnership-Africa Canada (PAC), tried to redefine "blood diamonds" to include Marange diamonds, but failed.

Blood diamonds (also called converted diamonds, conflict diamonds, hot diamonds, or war diamonds) refer to diamonds mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, invading army's war efforts, or a warlord's activity. This meaning does not apply to Zimbabwe's Marange diamonds. The country is not at war, and there is no financing of an insurgency and no warlord activity in the country.

PAC argued that "(The conflict diamond) definition is outdated and needs changing. It erroneously assumes all governments are legitimate ..." Zimbabwe has a unity Government which includes Zanu (PF) party of President Mugabe, MDC-T of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and MDC of Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara.

The relentlessness of the western countries to have Zimbabwe diamond exports banned will be tested next month when a sub-group of the Kimberley Process is scheduled to meet and debate Zimbabwe's certification further.

Labels: ABBEY CHIKANE, CHIADZWA, KIMBERLEY PROCESS, TENDAI BITI

posted by MrK @ 1:47 AM