Manicaland Bureau
Scores of villagers from Marange on Monday staged a demonstration against Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC), whom they accused of failing to create jobs and eradicating poverty in the area.

A ZCDC spokesman said they suspected the hand of the opposition in the demonstration.

The villagers were waving high quality placards with inscriptions demanding an explanation on the fate of the $15 billion generated from diamonds that reportedly went missing.

They, however, failed to gain entrance into the company premises after police intervention.

Deputy Manicaland provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Luxson Chananda said he was yet to get the finer details when contacted for comment by The Herald.

However, the diamond mining company has embarked on several community social responsibility programmes in Marange such as the drilling and repairing of community boreholes in Tinoengana Village in Chiadzwa, construction of Gandauta Secondary School science laboratory block and installation of electricity and computers, rehabilitation of Banda Primary School, rehabilitation of Chiadzwa and Mukwada clinics as well as construction of bridges and rehabilitation of roads.

The company has drilled and repaired boreholes in the district to address perennial shortages of safe drinking  water.

Contacted for comment, ZCDC head of public relations Mr Sugar Chagonda said the demos were politically motivated, fingering the opposition parties and some non-governmental organisations to be sponsoring the unrest and equipping the villagers with the placards.

“We believe they are rented crowds sponsored by opposition political parties to discredit the good works we have done for the community. We have done a lot of community social responsibility programmes such construction of roads, rehabilitation of clinics, schools, supporting tillage programmes and drilling boreholes.

“These people were used to receiving food handouts from Mbada Diamonds, which was more of a solution for immediate concerns yet what we are doing is something they will benefit from way into the future. We will, however, go onto the ground to establish how it can be solved,” said Mr Chagonda.

You Might Also Like

Comments

Take our Survey

We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey