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(TALKZIMBABWE) No blood diamonds in Zimbabwe: VP Nkomo

No blood diamonds in Zimbabwe: VP Nkomo
By: Our reporter
Posted: Monday, August 16, 2010 7:39 am

THE sale of diamonds last Wednesday is proof that the story on Chiadzwa has always been a story concocted by Zimbabwe's detractors as they have failed to prove that human rights abuses took place in the Marange district , Vice President Nkomo said.

Zimbabwe on Wednesday sold the first batch of 900 000 carats of diamonds from Chiadzwa, realising US$72 million after meeting minimum requirements under the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.

Officially opening the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) parliamentarians’ two-day workshop attended by Members of Parliament and Senate from the bloc in the resort town of Victoria Falls on Thursday last week Nkomo who is currently the Acting President said:

“The world was accusing us of all sorts of things regarding our diamonds.

"They were calling our diamonds, blood diamonds. But after all the examinations done on the diamonds even by outsiders, they came up with one answer that the diamonds are clean.”

He added that principles always triumphed in the end and commended Mines and Minerals Development Ministr Obert Mpofu for his sheer determination in ensuring that Zimbabwe gets the certification.

Zimbabwe is a founding member of KP.

Acting President Nkomo urged Africans should solve their own problems instead of relying on outsiders.

He said evidence showed that due to African mediation, the majority of conflicts that had affected the continent have been resolved or were well on their way to resolution, without undue influence from the West.

Africans are determined to resolve their own problems, he added.

“This is clearly indicative of the determination that we as Africans have to deal with our own problems.

"This would allow us to channel our efforts and resources towards achieving our developmental goals,” said Acting President Nkomo.

He said parliamentarians played a critical role in shaping the development agenda in their respective countries through scrutinising and overseeing the executive as well as passing legislation.

“It is therefore most appropriate that they are also directly involved in fostering peace and security in our region, thus reinforcing the work of their governments.

“I therefore wish to commend Comesa Heads of State and Government for their wisdom and vision when they took the decision to involve parliamentarians in the Comesa programme on peace and security in 2001.

“I would also like to commend the decision of the Comesa programme on peace and security to deal with the economic dimensions of conflicts.”

Nkomo added: “It goes without saying that this was a most appropriate move given that the conflicts in the Great Lakes region in particular and others in the Comesa region had caused so much destruction to both lives and property.

“These conflicts retarded the development of the countries by diverting vital resources from development efforts to fuelling war.”

He said it was important that the bloc ensures that the transition from conflict to peace in the region also addresses the multiple factors that could contribute to the relapse of conflict.

Nkomo said Zimbabweans knew how delicate the transition to peace is, as they have waged a war of liberation against British imperialism.

“We here in Zimbabwe know only too well that the transitional period from conflict to peace is a delicate period. Having gone through a protracted and bloody war of liberation, we went through a complex phase of consolidating peace, reconciling with our former enemies while undertaking a reconstruction and rehabilitation programme,” said Acting President Nkomo.

Addressing the same gathering, the Comesa assistant secretary-general Mr Stephen Karangizi said peace was vital for the development of the bloc and the continent at large.

“We should all be involved in prevention of wars and it is better that we do it on our own instead of letting foreigners control or lead such important processes,” he said.

Labels: BLOOD DIAMONDS, CHIADZWA, JOHN NKOMO, KIMBERLEY PROCESS, STEPHEN KARANGIZI

posted by MrK @ 10:25 AM