Emmerson Mnangagwa talks tough on corruption while commissioning diamond crushing plant

The President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa commissioned a diamond crushing plant at Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company on Thursday, December 20. The effort is likely to take the nation moving from alluvial to conglomerate diamond mining. While addressing the stakeholders, he urged for absolute transparency in the mining sector threatening that those caught on the wrong side of the law would be dealt with severely.

"I am excited that this event marks a welcome turn of fortunes for the diamond industry in Zimbabwe. It is a sign of reassurance that the investment the government made is creating the desired capacity to unlock maximum diamond value and its contribution to the socioeconomic development of our great country," President Emmerson Mnangagwa opined.

Xinhua reported that the plant and equipment were sourced from Belarus, and the contract of importing those materials were made during his visit to the Eastern European country in 2015 as Vice President. He also congratulated Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company for unveiling cattle breeding programme and opening a science and computer laboratory at Gandauta Secondary School in Chiadzwa, Manicaland Province.

"l would like to congratulate the works being done by the ZCDC, we have seen their role in rehabilitating and upgrading schools in Marange and also the introduction of Science laboratories and computer rooms again l say congratulations for bringing Science to rural areas and this is what should be done," Mnangagwa added.

Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company is looking forward to an output of 3 million carats of diamonds during the end of current year in comparison to 1.56 million carats in 2017. Between January and October 2018, the firm produced 2.4 million carats, which it considers much higher than 1.8 million carats produced during the same period last year.