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Leave No Stone Unturned Transforming Zimbabwe’S Marange Diamond Sector Through Extensive Transparency Reforms

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Leave No Stone Unturned Transforming Zimbabwe’S Marange Diamond Sector Through Extensive Transparency Reforms Leave no stone unturned Transforming Zimbabwe’s Marange diamond sector through extensive transparency reforms © REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo December 2018 INTRODUCTION In his first year as Zimbabwe’s President, Emmerson Mnangagwa has pledged to stamp out corruption and prioritise economic recovery. Future governance of Zimbabwe’s valuable diamond industry, ruthlessly misappropriated under the previous Robert Mugabe led government at the expense of the Zimbabwean people, is a litmus test of the strength and credibility of these commitments. This briefing makes nine recommendations to increase transparency and improve governance in the diamond sector which, which if implemented, would signal genuine reform. MISMANAGEMENT OF THE DIAMOND 2009-2016 focused on ‘the investors and INDUSTRY HAS DEPRIVED THE investments made, the monitoring and ZIMBABWEAN PEOPLE OF A PRECIOUS tracking systems on production and SOURCE OF FUNDS AND JEOPARDIZED revenues’. The final report1 of the enquiry DEMOCRACY referred to the widely cited ‘fifteen billion dollars’ of missing diamond money. This figure relates to a 2016 statement2 by former President Robert Mugabe in which he claimed that the diamond industry had generated USD 15 billion dollars in revenues but that Zimbabwe had only received around USD 2 billion. He alleged that private investors were to blame, despite the government owning a share in all of the diamond mining companies. While the credibility of this figure has been widely criticised, it is clear that mismanagement, rampant diamond smuggling, looting and In June 2018, Zimbabwe’s Parliamentary corruption have prevented potentially Portfolio Committee on Mines and billions of dollars in diamond money Energy concluded an enquiry into the from reaching the public purse3. country’s diamond sector for the period GLOBAL WITNESS 2 LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED DECEMBER 2018 The 2006 discovery of huge deposits of Zimbabwe Mining Development diamonds in Marange, an area of Corporation was used as a front Manicaland Province in Eastern for their interests, calling into question the veracity of Zimbabwe, presented a major information provided by the opportunity for increasing government state’s representative in the revenue, stimulating economic growth mining industry; and supporting the country’s Anonymous companies registered development. According to official in known secrecy jurisdictions, statistics, between 2010 and 2017 over held substantial shares in USD 2.7 billion worth of diamonds were diamond companies, creating significant opportunities for exported, though this number may be corruption while frustrating dwarfed by the real value of the stones meaningful oversight of the sector extracted. However, only around USD and its beneficiaries; 300 million of this can clearly be Serving and retired members of identified in public accounts. Tracking Zimbabwe’s security forces sat on where diamond money is going has been the boards of diamond companies; severely hampered by limited public Missing accounts, audits, and reporting on revenue flows by both public reporting, impeded private companies and the government. scrutiny and oversight of the The individuals and groups behind the sector; industry have also been frequently Lucrative mining licenses were obscured by opaque company structures awarded to actors with and even false reporting by public questionable track records, with no evidence of appropriate due bodies. Monitors have faced an uphill diligence by the government; struggle to obtain information about the Recommendations made by the industry. However, research by Global Auditor General of Zimbabwe to Witness4 has revealed: the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation about Direct military ownership of a its dealings with private investors diamond company, that allowed went unheeded; access to off-budget diamond Recommendations made in the revenues thereby undermining ‘First Report of the Portfolio democratic and civilian oversight Committee on Mines and Energy of Zimbabwe’s partisan armed on diamond mining (with special forces; reference to the Marange The Central Intelligence diamond fields) 2009-2013’ were Organisation (CIO), Zimbabwe’s not acted upon. feared spying agency, notorious for perpetrating human rights abuses against perceived critics of the government held a hidden stake in a diamond company. The GLOBAL WITNESS 3 LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED DECEMBER 2018 LOOKING TO THE FUTURE For the first time in 2018 Zimbabwe celebrated the anniversary of its independence without Robert Mugabe at the head of government © JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images As we focus on recovering our Wide-ranging problems in the diamond economy, we must shed misbehaviours sector have prevented the Zimbabwean and acts of ill-discipline which have people from deriving meaningful benefit characterised the past. Acts of corruption from their precious natural resources at a must stop.”5 time when over half of the population is –President Mnangagwa, November 2017. living beneath the poverty line,6 Zimbabwe is in arrears on most of its external debt,7 which The decade-long looting of Zimbabwe’s stands at over USD 11 billion8 and the diamonds was aided by a lack of country is dependent on USD 810 million9 in transparency and oversight. These structural annual aid. weaknesses are in need of urgent reform. The reforms offer President Mnangagwa, A significant reform of Zimbabwe’s diamond independent monitors and the Zimbabwean industry would be a concrete sign of the people a set of benchmarks against which to political will to affect a real break with the check whether stated commitments are past. It may also point the way towards translating into meaningful change. reforms needed across Zimbabwe’s economy to combat corruption and ensure all share in its economic resources. This may reassure the international community and responsible investors of the government’s investors of an altered business context. commitment to deliver a clean and Internationally, responsible investment is accountable business environment. It would growing,12 and the demand for these types of also send an important signal to companies assurances is likely to increase. and traders along the diamond supply chain that production and trading in Zimbabwean diamonds can be done in line with international responsible sourcing norms. Given the history of violence and abuse associated with the Marange diamond industry, meaningful reforms could begin to turn the tide on the negative impacts and reputation of the industry. I want to assure investors that Zimbabwe is not only ready for business but it is politically stable.” 10 -President Mnangagwa, March 2018. An aerial view of the Marange diamond fields © DigitalGlobe via Getty Images President Mnangagwa has emphasised his commitment to stabilising the economy and PRIVATE INVESTMENT providing a business environment which attracts international investment.11 Managed Following the discovery of diamonds in responsibly, the diamond sector could Marange in 2006, the government initially support economic growth, help to fund the declared the diamond fields open, triggering Zimbabwean budget and decrease a diamond rush of thousands of artisanal dependence on international aid. miners from Zimbabwe and beyond. Transparency is the cornerstone of an However, before the end of the year the accountable diamond sector and must be government began clamping down on small- prioritised in any efforts to reform the scale mining across the country. In the industry. Enabling public scrutiny would go a diamond fields, these efforts culminated long way to stymieing some of the abuses towards the end of 2008 in Operation that have plagued the industry and create Hakudzokwi (No Return) in which the the conditions to foster accountability where Zimbabwean military and police unleashed a 13 they do occur. It could also serve to attract wave of brutality that saw an estimated 200 more responsible investors to the diamond people killed over a period of just three sector. Endemic corruption is one of the weeks. Following the violent take over, the factors which has deterred responsible state owned Zimbabwe Mining Development investors from considering Zimbabwe a Corporation (ZMDC) began partnering with viable environment in which to do business private investors to form joint venture and which conversely allowed rogue actors diamond mining companies. to gain a foothold. The implementation of transparency measures will help to reassure GLOBAL WITNESS 2 LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED DECEMBER 2018 It was through these companies that the entity. This entity was named the Zimbabwe military and CIO were able to gain direct Consolidated Mining Company (ZCDC). access to diamond revenues. In some cases According to its website15, the ZCDC was private investors holding stakes in established after the government companies hid behind anonymous consolidated all the Marange mining companies, meaning the ultimate beneficial concessions. This was framed as a move owner of substantial shares and revenues towards increased transparency and could not be identified. Limited reporting, accountability in the diamond industry, accounting, and auditing has frustrated following growing complaints about the efforts to hold the sector accountable and limited revenues raised. However, local clearly identify revenues that should be reporting16 also suggested that the eviction reaching the Treasury and people of of diamond mining firms from Marange was a Zimbabwe. manifestation of factional divisions within The pervasive
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