HUNDREDS of villagers displaced from the Chiadzwa diamond fields have vowed to continue with their planned demonstration today, dissociating themselves from the so-called moratorium signed between the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) and Chiadzwa Community Development Trust (CCDT).
BY KENNETH NYANGANI
The villagers have accused ZCDC of reneging on its promise to provide them with jobs and develop infrastructure in the area.
The demonstration is being facilitated by the Bocha Community Development Trust (BCDT) and Chiadzwa Community Development Trust (CCDT), while another Chiadzwa pressure group, B-Mend, has offered to join the protests.
Last week, CCDT representative, Malvern Mudiwa signed a deal with ZCDC to shelve the planned protests, saying they were ready to engage the diamond miner and amicably resolve their differences. But BCDT chairman, Lovemore Mukwada yesterday accused Mudiwa of rushing to sign the peace deal without the consent of other villagers.
“We are going ahead with the demonstration. Malvern Mudiwa’s memorandum of understanding (MoU) is just between him and ZCDC,” he said.
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“The local people new nothing about the contents of the agreement and they never contributed to it and that is the reason we are going on with the demonstration. I am even told that some traditional leaders were not informed about the (MoU).”
Contacted for comment, Mudiwa insisted that the peace deal was genuine.
“Look here, we are not competing with anyone, but we just want to make sure that the community also benefits from the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company,” he said.