By Ronny Zikhali

Zimbabwe’s small-scale miners still await anxiously for the Zimbabwe Miners Development Corporation (ZMDC) to release the names of companies to be granted mining rights at Chiadzwa diamond fields in Marange area, in the eastern border town of the country.
Most small scale miners submitted applications to the ZMDC as they sought to be granted rights to mine the diamonds.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one small-scale miner said priority to mine at the diamond fields had to be given to them to ensure that they were fully empowered and that indigenisation was operational.
“We are looking forward to be empowered by our Government and be granted mining rights in the diamond fields,” he said.
Another small-scale miner said the Government through the ZMDC should ensure that local companies benefited most from the country’s resources.
“Foreign companies are usually preferred in most cases, but we hope on this one there would be a difference,” added another small-scale miner.
The Minister of Mines and Mining Development Obert Mpofu last month said the Government was in possession of more than 200 applications from both local and foreign companies that sought mining rights in the diamond fields.
Minister Mpofu had said the Government was in the process of sieving the applications to give approval to deserving companies. Already two South African companies, Mbada Holdings and Canadile Mining are mining in the area.
However, Minister Mpofu could not give the details on the progress made so far as he referred all questions to ZMDC chairman Mr Godwills Masimirembwa whose phone was unreachable.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) said it had expressed interests to partner ZMDC in the mining of diamonds in Chiadzwa in a bid to promote transparent mining activities in the country.
In an interview last week, ZMF chief executive officer Mr Wellington Takavarasha said all members affiliated to the association had submitted their proposals to ZMDC and were looking forward to a positive response.
The Government represented by ZMDC is responsible for the mining activities taking place at Chiadzwa diamond field.
“We are looking forward to have our members benefiting from the diamond field. Quite a big number from the small scale miners sector submitted their applications and that is proof enough to show the interest we have in partnering with ZMDC,” said Mr Takavarasha.