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(ZIMUPDATES, ZBC) Govt blasts London based NGO

Govt blasts London based NGO
ZBC (11/06/10)

Analysts and the Government of Zimbabwe have blasted attempts by a London-based group, Global Witness to negatively influence the decision by the Kimberly process monitor Abbey Chikane that Zimbabwe should be certified to sell its diamonds on the International market.

After months of consultation, assessment and site visits to the diamond rich fields of Chiadzwa in Manicaland province, the Kimberly Monitoring and Certification Process monitor for Zimbabwe ,Abbey Chikane has recommended that Zimbabwe should be allowed to trade in her diamonds.

The prospects of certifying the country’s diamonds has ignited great hope of quick economic recovery for the people of Zimbabwe who are reeling from the effect of the illegal Western sanctions aimed at effecting regime change in the country, despite the coming together of the people of Zimbabwe in the inclusive government.

The stockpile of mined diamonds in strong rooms is valued at US$1.7 billion, a figure that will greatly improve Zimbabwe’s economic position.

However, the West led by the US and Britain are determined to maintain their stranglehold on the Zimbabwean economy and force the nation into submission, and through their NGOs including Global Witness are working to discredit the KP monitor Abbey Chikane and his report alleging that Chikane ignored human rights issues on the ground in Chiadzwa.

Mines and Mining Development Minister Cde Obert Mpofu said the accusations by Global Witness are an indication of the West’s disappointment with the progress that Zimbabwe has made in meeting the provisions of the Kimberley Process and dismissed the allegations as fiction based on the West’s political interests in Zimbabwe.

Cde Mpofu said Zimbabwe , the only member state which has tolerated the scrutiny of the Kimberley Process in order to show that the country has nothing to hide , should be allowed to trade in her diamonds , following the positive report by the KP monitor who has visited the country several times to monitor Zimbabwe’s compliance.

In a rudely worded letter to the Zimbabwe government, the KP chair Boaz Hirsh demanded to know the fate of a researcher of one of the western sponsored NGO, Centre For Research and Development Farai Maguwu who was arrested in Zimbabwe for publishing and communicating prejudicial information, a development which Cde Mpofu said is disrespectful to a sovereign government.

A political analyst Caesar Zvayi said the campaign by Global Witness is a continuation of the illegal sanctions drive aimed at starving Zimbabwe of financing capital and a continuation of the white supremacist policy.

He said the Global Witness based in London has never been to Zimbabwe and cannot dispute what the KP monitor saw during his several visits to the country.

He said the utterances by Global Witness are a last attempt by the west to destabilise and discredit Zimbabwe through sanctions.

The NGO has also been slammed for accepting Chikane’s earlier reports on shortcoming noted in Zimbabwe’s compliance but rejecting the monitor’s latest report indicating Zimbabwe has now complied with the KP process.

Labels: ABBEY CHIKANE, BLOOD DIAMONDS, BOAZ HIRSH, CAESAR ZVAYI, CHIADZWA, DIAMONDS, GLOBAL WITNESS (NGO), KIMBERLEY PROCESS

posted by MrK @ 6:05 PM