No Marange Diamonds Certified: Chikane

Posted in News by Admin on April 2nd, 2010

No diamonds from the Marange diamond fields in Chiadzwa, Zimbabwe have yet been certified by the Kimberley Process (KP), Abbey Chikane, the KP monitor for Zimbabwe, told Rapaport

Chikane dismissed recent reports indicating that the KP approved Mbada Diamonds to sell approximately 2 million carats of diamonds from the fields, since he has yet to visit Chiadzwa on a certification mission.

Chikane stressed that his visit to Zimbabwe in March, shortly after his appointment to the position, was strictly a fact finding mission and that his first certification visit has not yet been scheduled. He added that since the March visit, he has submitted an “elaborate report” to the KP working committee on monitoring Chikane stressed that his visit to Zimbabwe in March, shortly after his appointment to the position, was strictly a fact finding mission and that his first certification visit has not yet been scheduled. He added that since the March visit, he has submitted an “elaborate report” to the KP working committee on monitoring.

New Zimbabwe last week cited unnamed sources saying that Chikane gave the green light to Mbada, one of two companies working the fields with the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation, to sell its output.Chikane further dismissed a report in ZimOnline stating that he would be visiting Chiadzwa to examine Marange production next week. “A number of dates have been suggested but none have been decided,” he said.