A documentary on Chiadzwa was recently launched at a private screening. It describes the legacy of diamond mining and a botched relocation exercise for villagers from Marange to Arda Transau farm in Odzi. The documentary produced by the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) details the negative impacts and legacy of Marange community relocations for diamond mining.
The discovery of diamonds in Chiadzwa brought misfortune to over 1300 families. From 2011 to 2014, they were forcefully removed from their ancestral homes in a controversial exercise that resulted in significant losses for many.
The relocated villagers were given one-hectare plots in Arda Transau, which were insufficient in meeting their needs. Additionally, the cash handouts of US$1000 were not paid in full, leaving many families in a difficult situation. Some families were even unable to secure houses in the poorly executed relocation In the documentary titled “The Curse of Marange Diamonds,” a villager bitterly laments how they were forced to leave their ancestral home without receiving any housing.
Another participant in the documentary Clara Magobeya, who was relocated to Arda Transau called for a redress of wrongs committed against the communities of Marange-Zimunya, and an audit of the relocation.
She said despite the promises made by the diamond mining companies they are still languishing in poverty as they lost their livelihoods in the rural set-up and were forced to live in a peri-urban setting without support. Executive
Magobeya recalled how her family was arbitrarily moved from her homestead at dusk, while the husband was left behind to gather their livestock, most of which perished as they have no grazing area.
“We just saw the truck coming in at dusk to move us without consultation. I had to leave my husband behind to gather our livestock because the truck came in late,” says Magobeya.
Similarly, villagers left behind are also bitter that despite being one of the most lucrative diamond fields in the world, their area has remained poor and underdeveloped and revenues from mineral resources have failed to lift poor people out of the shackles of poverty.
“We don’t know where the diamond wealth is maybe it benefitted people from other countries,” says Marble Kusena, who still resides in Chiadzwa.
In the documentary, CNRG calls for the government to take the requisite actions to restore the confidence of the people of this community and the nation at large over its management of diamond mining in the Marange communal area.
CNRG executive director Farai Maguwu said there was need to preserve the history of the plunder of diamonds and the loss of revenue, running into billions of dollars, that could have been channeled for development.
“This is a community that is seeking justice, a community that is appealing for help and we must assist as a civic society and advocate for justice for the people of Chiadzwa.
“We cannot develop as a nation through donor handouts, but through its own resources. Therefore we cannot lose national wealth (from diamonds) while appealing to developed like Canada or the United States to fund our health services or build clinics in Marange or Mukwada when we lost US$ 15 billion in diamond revenue,” said Maguwu.
The documentary also recollects the Operation Hakudzokwi commemorations held to remember the brutal assault on artisanal miners by security forces in 2008, which saw hundreds of miners perish.
According to CNRG, the government has a responsibility to alleviate the suffering of the communities as guided by the Constitution which obligates it to ensure that communities benefit from resources that occur in their communities.