(TALKZIMBABWE) What are diamonds of Zimbabwean origin?

What are diamonds of Zimbabwean origin?
By: Nancy Lovedale
Posted: Sunday, April 24, 2011 6:46 am

CALL it irresponsible journalism. The internet is awash with reports that Indian officials caught on Friday two people with what are believed to be blood diamonds worth Rs10 crore, in Surat.

The diamonds are said to be of Zimbabwean origin. The officials apprehended two people identified as Jorabhai and Premabhai, both residents of Navsari district, near Saiyedpura in Surat.

Sources said the officials seized rough-cut diamonds weighing a total 9.72kg. The value of the diamonds is said to be Rs10.17 crore.

The case is said to be one of the biggest cases of blood diamonds making their way to Surat, popularly known as ‘diamond city’ in the country.

The diamonds are said to be of Zimbabwean origin and were smuggled to Surat via Nairobi, Mumbai and Navsari; but no one seems to care to describe what "Zimbabwean origin" means in this case.

The reports are devoid of facts linking the diamonds to Zimbabwe.

Online publications reporting on Zimbabwe are also reporting this very skeletal story; which fails to establish a prima facie case against Zimbabwe.

One can only deduce that this is yet another case meant to tarnish the diamond industry in Zimbabwe; and is typical of lazy journalism that we have now become accustomed to.

It is ignorant to link every diamond crime to Zimbabwe. If it is indeed true that those diamonds are from Zimbabwe, there should be an accompanying explanation linking Zimbabwe to the case.

You cannot establish facts by simply declaring that the diamonds are of "Zimbabwean origin". How can you tell if diamonds are of Zimbabwean origin?

Blood diamond (also called a converted diamond, conflict diamond, hot diamond, or a war diamond) refers to a diamond mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, invading army's war efforts. Zimbabwe's diamonds do not meet any of these conditions.

The western world and NGOs are opposing the diamond mines in Zimbabwe citing charges of human rights violations. The Kimberley Process does not mention anything about human rights violations as warranting the blocking of diamond trade.

The KP was launched in 2003 to curb the flow of conflict diamonds and is exceeding its mandate by delving into issues of human rights which should be investigated by bodies like the UN Human Rights Commission and international watchdogs like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

The KP does not have the mandate nor the capacity to investigate issues of human rights.


*Nancy Lovedale writes from Beijing, China. She is an avid supporter of Arsenal and Dynamos "DeMbare" Football Club and can be reached via nancy_lovedale@yahoo.com