Diamond

Chiadzwa claim holder says sale of Zimbabwe goods ‘illegal’

27 Jul 2010

The CEO of Africa Consolidated Resources (ACR), the London based mining company that holds legal title to the Chiadzwa claim, where the Marange diamond fields are located, has said that the planned sale of the stones from the site is unlawful. The sale will take place as part of the agreement between Kimberley Process and the government of Zimbabwe, which was reached on July 15 in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Speaking to SW Radio Africa, ACR’s CEO Andrew Cranswick said that all mining activities at Chiadzwa since September 2009 have been done in contravention of Zimbabwe High Court and Supreme Court orders. “Any activity on the site since September 2009, apart from securing and guarding, is in contempt of court and criminal,” he stated.

ACR was forced off the site in 2006 and since then has been fighting a legal battle to resume its operations. The state owned Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) took control of the area and entered into joint venture agreements with Mbada Mining and Canadile Mining.

In February the Zimbabwe Supreme Court ordered that all mining at the site be suspended until the issue was resolved. This decision, Cranswick said, has been ignored.

ACR earlier stated that it does not oppose the sale of Zimbabwe’s the diamond stockpile, as long as the process is transparent, and does not involve the companies that it claims are occupying Chiadzwa illegally.