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Diamond output at Murowa mine for the first quarter this year dropped to 40 000 carats, a 61 percent decline from the previous quarter, parent company Rio Tinto reported yesterday.

Rio Tinto attributed the decline to a plant shutdown and reduced production due to confusion on whether a 15 percent export tax on unrefined mineral exports proposed by Government also applied to diamond miners.

The Government, however, intended the export levy mainly on platinum miners to push them to add value to the metal.

“Carats recovered at Murowa were significantly lower than the comparator periods due to a planned plant shutdown to reconfigure the processing plant and a decision to reduce production rates pending confirmation (subsequently received) that a new 15 per cent export tax did not apply to Murowa,” the company said.

Ore processed during the period under review reached 117 000 tonnes while diamonds recovered amounted to 51 000 carats. Murowa mine is located near Zvishavane in the Midlands province and is a partnership between Rio Tinto and Rio Zim, each controlling 78 percent and 22 percent respectively. It is one of the numerous diamond mining companies with operations in Zimbabwe including the Manicaland based Marange Resources, Mbada Diamonds, Anjin and Diamond Mining Corporation.

The Zimbabwe Government has since started a process to merge all diamond mining companies to bring more transparency and efficiency in the sector. Zimbabwe is a notable producer of diamonds in the world and mines most of its gems in the vast Marange diamond fields in Manicaland province. — New Ziana.