By Donald Nyarota.
MUTARE. (News of The South)- A labour movement aligned to the ruling ZANU PF has criticized government for its look east policy, claiming it has prejudiced economic growth.
Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Union (ZFTU) secretary general Kennias Shamuyarira said government’s alliance with China and other Asian ‘investors’ was shortchanging the national fiscus.
Shamuyarira told News of the South that government was complicit in the looting of alluvial diamonds from Chiadzwa diamond fields through its deliberate look east policy. He said diamond revenue has been sapped by foreigners who have impunity to classify diamonds without government oversight.
“How can you say one is an investor when just bring a grader and shovels. Government should put in place measures to ensure the nation benefits from diamond proceeds.
“They have private planes which are not searched and fly straight to Dubai, Hong Kong where they will then say some your diamonds were industrial, how transparent is that is that sincere?
“Can we embrace such a look east policy with such shortchanges which deprive the nation, which deprives the citizenry. How can Africa develop with such shenanigans it can’t.
“This is why when we say when we demand we must demand the space the management, everything we must be involved as a country?”
Civil society has also made noise over influx of shelf companies without a track record in diamond mining who were issued with secret mining contracts.
Connected government officials sought crooked business people who set up shelf companies through illegal cabal claims Farai Maguwu of Centre for Natural Resource Governance.
He says government blundered from the onset by granting clandestine mining contracts to shelf companies linked to top the brass despite resistance against such moves government pushed forward with an ‘extractivism’ culture, claims Maguwu.
Maguwu says this has been the major cause of prevailing viability challenges in the sector as most companies mining in Chiadzwa lack capacity to venture into deep conglomerate mining causing pushing government to into a merger.
“The problem with Chiadzwa is that it was a disaster right from the start because our leaders sought corrupt business partners. Some even rushed to register shelf companies in Mauritius, some went to a corrupt Lebanese cabal to register DMC a company which was never in existence and then they entered into diamond mining.
“It had nothing to do with national development. We have a bunch of selfish, greedy and unpatriotic elites who do not love their country at all.
“It’s a shame and an embarrassment that we have such people as our leaders. They have harvested everything without investment into deep conglomerate diamond mining because they don’t have the capacity,” he said.
Freeman Bhoso of Zimbabwe National Resources Dialogue Forum said government’s multi faceted roles in the mining industry was hindering progress calling on government to adopt a much more inclusive approach to contract negotiations.
“The quandary we have is government’s multiplicity of interests as a player, regulator and them wanting to play an oversight role leaving itself with a big burden.
“Government as such should revise its position on the new dispensation of a merger and come to the realization that they cannot do without an inclusive dimension in negotiating contracts,” he said.
Government must also ensure community health rights of are protected by mining companies operating in their areas something near impossible if dealing with Chinese claims a human rights activist.
Aids and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa regional training and capacity strengthening team leader says Chinese do not respect rights of host communities as they operate with a pillage philosophy.
“States must progressively implement such rights which ensure communities are protected but with the need of investment foreigners always come in. Unfortunately if you have Chinese they won’t invest sustainably because for every dollar they bring they also bring hundred Chinese.
He concludes, “States should work with companies to look for newer technologies of extracting without damaging the environment. Governments should work with industry to ensure that their rights are protected.”
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