Government of Zimbabwe stops auction of 300,000 carats of rough diamonds

Last week, the government of Zimbabwe stopped an auction of over 300,000 carats of rough diamonds being hosted by Mbada Diamonds at the Harare International Airport. The notice was served by Zimbabwe's secretary for Mines and Mining Development, Thankful Musukutwa, which stated that the diamonds did not carry the Kimberley Process certification and that Mbada Diamonds which has a mining license for the Chiadzwa diamond fields, did not comply with proper diamond sales procedures.

In his notice Thankful Musukutwa mentioned that Mbada Diamonds would not be able to sell or export diamonds until it has fulfilled government and KP regulations. Thankful Musukutwa also mentioned the proper procedures for selling diamonds from Marange fields involves the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe, ZRP Minerals Unit and Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, which Mbada Diamonds did not adhere to.

Also, the government of Zimbabwe is working with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) to appoint a KP monitor, as per the decision taken at the KPCS plenary meeting in Namibia in 2009, to ban the flow of blood diamonds. Until the KP monitor is in place diamonds cannot be sold or exported from the Marange and Chiadzwa diamond fields, reports say. Mbada Diamonds had planned two auctions to sell around 600,000 carats from the Chiadzwa diamond fields, reports say. Mbada Diamonds, a joint venture between the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation and Grandwell Holdings.