The Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) has refuted claims by the United States of America that mining of rough diamonds in Marange is done using forced labour.
MMCZ general manager, Tongai Muzenda, asked how Zimbabweans could be “forced” to work when they are actually looking for jobs. He said:
We are also surprised by the allegations that there could be forced labour in Chiadzwa. One would have thought that ordinarily, Zimbabweans are looking for jobs, therefore where would the ‘forced’ aspect be coming from?
On 30 September 2019, the United States issued a Withhold Release Order preventing the importation of rough diamonds from Marange. Washington banned the diamonds alleging that they were produced using forced labour.
Some of us are working in Afghanistan for American companies that literally force us to work 12 hours a day 6 days a week at low salaries with no overtime paid. Management goes on vacation 4 times a year yet we go once a year – God knows better which classes they fly on (and by the way all the Westerners are “managers”). We have the option to go at 6 months if one can afford their own ticket. How come the American government does not see to it that labour laws are fairly adhered to? They see specks in other people’s eyes when they have logs in theirs. A wrong is a wrong no matter who commits it.