Maravi

(HERALD ZW) Mpofu dismisses KP focal point person’s appointment
Friday, 24 June 2011 01:00
By a Special Correspondent

THE appointment of Shamiso Mtisi as the Kimberly Process Focal Point person is null and void because it does not have the consensus of all participants as required by the KPCS standing statutes, Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu told the KPCS Kinshasa Intercessional meeting.

"The elimination of conflict diamonds from the diamond pipeline has left some of our colleagues with no work to do and perhaps the human rights debate is hoped to create new work and a new focus.

"These local focal point persons are simply failed individuals in their respective fields and are picked from the dustbin, dusted and presented to the plenary as saints. No concrete evidence is presented to substantiate their claims.

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"With regards to the proposal for the Local Focal Point person which is premised in the St Petersburg document, this was not endorsed by plenary and as such it is invalid.

"We do not recognise the Focal Point, Shamiso Mtisi and his gang of six and we will not allow the KP to be fed on rumours and speculation," declared Minister Mpofu.

The statutes and rules of the KPCS direct that all participants must reach a consensus in all decisions and the appointment of Mtisi did not have the consent of Zimbabwe Government.

The appointment of the local focal point person is a product of the St Petersburg agreement, concocted by the US, Canada and Australia, which again did not have consensus of all members but forced on Zimbabwe.

Shamiso Mtisi who was flanked by his Western handlers - Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada - reported to the Kimberley Processing that the military presence in Marange is still there and they are numerous incidents of severe beatings of villagers and an army helicopter flew into Marange area shot and killed several people two weeks before the President Mugabe's visit last week.

"Though they could be a reduction of army details in the area, cases of violence are still rife which are matters of human rights concern.

"We also noted that fences of the protected diamond blocks were scaled or cut, leading to leakages into Mozambique. Over rally, the Marange issue is still not good and requires further monitoring" said Mtisi, a well-known MDC-T activist.

The Affirmative Action Group, which also attended the meeting, criticised the behaviour of the civil coalition led by Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada.

"The questions that need answers are; why would there be only reports of abuse of human rights in Marange and not in any other mining areas in Zimbabwe? Would the US maintain the same position on De Beers if it were granted mining rights? Who employs Farai Maguwu and Shamiso Mtisi? Will it be a tenable position if Iran funds US based NGOs, which stand opposed to the US government? Where were Maguwu and

Mtisi when more than 40 000 illegal panners invaded Marange?

"When are Maguwu and Mtisi going to make human rights assessment at the Canadian-owned New Dawn Mining and Zimplats, Rio Tinto?

"These questions are critical in ascertaining the true character of the third force behind these machinations.

"Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada have used their willing surrogates like Farai Maguwu and Shamiso Mtisi to lie about Marange because there is black participation," Tafadzwa Musarara, AAG Secretary General said.