Harare - Another potential Chiadzwa diamonds disaster is looming in Tsvingwe, in Manicaland province amid reports that the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Mining Company (ZCDC) engineers have been deployed for exploration of diamonds, a resources pressure group has warned.
The presence of mining engineers in Tsvingwe, the Independent reports, is now seen as a precursor of government’s take-over of the fields and displacement of villagers reminiscent of what happened in Chiadzwa where villagers were subjected to gross human rights abuses when government launched Operation No Return.
The report is part of the ongoing investigation into the Marange alluvial diamonds discovery and subsequent plundering at various stages by state and non-state actor
In an interview, the director of the Centre for Natural Resource Governance, Farai Maguwu, said government has deployed mining engineers to carry out explorations in Tsvingwe.
He said they were likely to witness another Chiadzwa as government had already deployed engineers to explore the area and had warned villagers that they might be evicted to pave the way for diamond mining.
In Chiadzwa, thousands of villagers were evicted and promised compensation, but only a few got houses while the rest are still wallowing in poverty.
Before the forced evictions took place in Chiadzwa, government deployed armed soldiers and security details who committed gross human rights violations as they forcibly removed villagers and panners from the area.
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