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(NEWZIMBABWE) Mbeki to address diamond conference

Mbeki to address diamond conference
11/11/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

FORMER South Africa President Thabo Mbeki will address the Zimbabwe Diamond Conference which begins at the Victoria Falls resort Monday in a development the government hopes will help address international concerns about the sector.

Said Mines Minister Obert Mpofu: “We have invited (former President Thabo) Mbeki and we are very proud to be associated with him because of his international resume. He is expected to give the keynote address at the conference.

“He is a renowned international mediator who was responsible for initiating the talks for our unity government and at one time he was tasked with mediating in the crisis in Syria.”

Other top global diamond officials expected to attend the meeting include Kimberly Process chair­person Ambassador Gillian Milovanovic, KP monitor Abbey Chikane and renowned international diamond expert Chaim Even-Zohar.

The Marange diamond find which is said to be one of Africa's largest with the potential to supply 25% of the world's diamonds has led to increased international focus on the country amid concerns over transparency, human rights abuses and alleged corruption.

Rights groups claim that 200 people were killed in 2008 at Marange when the country’s security services cleared small-scale miners from the area.

Zimbabwe was consequently banned from the Kimberley Process, a watchdog for the diamond trade. The ban was only lifted when the government said it had pulled out security forces out of the area.

Still, Finance Minister Tendai Biti Finance, a member of the anti-President Robert Mugabe MDC-T party, has complained that of the $600m in diamond revenues expected this year, only $46m has materialised.
He claims a "parallel government" may be raking in much of the cash.

Officials say the conference has been organised "to manage perception of the Zimbabwean diamond industry and lure more investment to the diamond industry", according to the ministry of mines.

Said the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Develop­ment Prince Mupazviriho: “The conference will also provide an opportunity for everyone to see that every­thing that we are doing in terms of the dia­monds is above board. We have nothing to hide despite the negative international views that we get regards our diamonds.

“Preparations for the meeting are going on smoothly. Most of the invited delegates have confirmed their attendance. The main highlight of the conference is that we are now going beyond just the mining of diamonds.

“We are now focusing on benefi­ciation to see how best the country can bene­fit from the diamonds. That is why we have invited all stakeholders from different coun­tries to help us develop our own systems to enhance beneficiation from the diamonds.”

Labels: DIAMONDS, OBERT MPOFU, THABO MBEKI

posted by MrK @ 4:48 PM