Military Claims ZRP Grabbed Its Chiadzwa Mining Claims, Says Mugabe Was Mistaken

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Martin Rushwaya claimed that the police grabbed its mining claims in the Chiadzwa diamond claims. The military had a 50 percent stake in Chinese diamond mining company Anjin. Rushwaya also questioned former president Robert Mugabe’s decision to remove all diamond companies from the fields following claims that the government has been cheated of US$15 billion.

Appearing before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy, Rushwaya said,

It was our view that the [then] Mines minister (Walter Chidakwa) could have acted on improper advice because, definitely, it was a moment of madness because the police just came armed and closed the mine.It was a company of civilians, the Chinese and the army, but if it was only the army in Anjin, then it was going to be something else. We follow the legal process. When the issue of the $15 billion was announced, we said let us come up with a statement to say this is not possible, and who gave Mugabe the figures? If we go by world standards, it is difficult to reach $14 billion diamond output in one year.

The military’s position is quite different from the police’s as the ZRP has claimed that it has no knowledge of a diamond mine and instead blamed former police boss Augustine Chihuri saying that the company was his personal property.

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