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Mines and Mining Development Minister Walter Chidhakwa (centre), flanked by Permanent Secretary Professor Francis Gudyanga (left) and Principal Director Valentine Vera, addresses journalists at a Press conference in Harare yesterday. — (Picture by Tariro Kamangira)

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT is still keen to establish how much the country lost at Chiadzwa through underhand dealings and will soon receive a report from auditors detailing how the gems were sold, Parliament heard on Wednesday.

Mines and Mining Development Minister Walter Chidhakwa said Government commissioned several audit firms to look into the books of mining firms that were extracting diamonds in Chiadzwa to establish if there were no false declarations of revenue generated from diamond sales.

He was responding to a question from Glen Norah MP Mr Webster Maondera (MDC-T), who wanted to know what had become of investigations of the alleged disappearance of $15 billion worth of diamonds at Chiadzwa as intimated by President Mugabe in an interview with the media.

Mr Maondera said Minister Chidhakwa told Parliament last year that they had launched an investigation and he wanted to know what became of it.

“I did say that we discussed with Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa and we have commissioned, through the Auditor-General’s office, a forensic audit. The forensic audit is not yet complete. As soon as it is completed we will bring the report to this House,” said Minister Chidhakwa.

“May I undertake to give the date when they would be through as soon as I talk with the auditors to hear how much time they need.”

Meanwhile, responding to another question, Home Affairs Minister Dr Ignatious Chombo said they had launched a technologically advanced platform that enabled the police manning roadblocks to detect vehicle defects and swiftly deal with criminal elements.

He said the machine would reduce the number of police roadblocks and corrupt activities as it would provide a lot of information, including the identity of a police officer who attends to a given vehicle.

Minister Chombo was responding to a question from Kuwadzana East MP Mr Nelson Chamisa (MDC-T), who complained about the prevalence of police roadblocks, which he said had the effect of scaring away tourists.

Earlier on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister Tapiwa Matangaidze reiterated that food distribution was not being done on partisan basis.

Presenting a ministerial statement, Mr Matangaidze said Government policy was that everyone who needed food aid was entitled to it regardless of political affiliation.