ZIMBABWE Diamond Technology Centre chairman Lovemore Kurotwi yesterday said over 60 companies had so far expressed interest in utilising his new diamond-cutting and polishing facilities in Mt Hampden outside Harare, which is nearing completion.
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“The response has been overwhelming. Of the over 60 companies that have already applied to use the facilities, 10 are international,” Kurotwi said.
“We will draw a shortlist next week to evaluate the various companies and determine those that can be accommodated first.”
Part of the $200 million facility, to be commissioned later this month, is nearing completion while the rest is expected to be complete by year-end.
In February, Kurotwi wrote to the government offering it facilities to manage the precious mineral as part of efforts to support government initiatives towards beneficiation and job creation.
Kurotwi said although the government had not responded, showing willingness to utilise the centralised trade in diamonds, the project would go ahead as it was a centre for the industry, not government.
“The diamond centre is for the industry. Those interested will have facilities under one roof. This will ensure transparency, accountability and convenience to both the buyers and sellers,” he said.
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“The facility will accommodate more buyers, which means diamonds will be sold quick and allow a quick turnaround for the sellers. The facilities are huge, accommodating more buyers to view the diamonds at one go and increase on the turnaround of cash.”
He said the centralised initiative would help the State-run Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe which was spending a lot of resources visiting diamond cutters scattered around the country.
The diamond centre, envisaged to house over 500 factories and create 100 000 jobs, will offer a one-stop shop, an auction floor, facilities for government diamond regulatory authorities and other stakeholders like banks, courier services and insurance companies. The centralisation of all these aspects, Kurotwi said, would address accountability, security, and transparency issues pertaining to the diamond industry.
