A team of inspectors from the Kimberley Process arrived in Zimbabwe on Tuesday to verify the compliance of diamonds mined at the Marange mine. The review mission will take place through Sunday August 15, 2010 and coincides with a visit to the country by KP monitor Abbey Chikane.
The review team visit is in line with the agreement reached by the Kimberley Process in St. Petersburg in July, which also stipulated that Chikane could certify Marange stock mined between May 28 and August 1.
Sources in Zimbabwe informed Rapaport News that the army has conducted a “blitz” operation in Marange in order to present a clean operation for the review team’s visit. Earlier the Voice of America (VOANews) cited unnamed sources saying that villages in Marange reported more police officers and troops in the area ahead of the visit.
KP sources confirmed with Marange Resources, which owns 50 percent of the mine, has scheduled the first sale of Marange diamonds with KP certificates on Wednesday. Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe is reportedly expected to attend the sale.
Mines secretary Thankful Musukutwa said the government would not disclose the names or how many buyers are participating in the sale, or how many parcels are being made available, according to Zim Daily.
“Other buyers do not want to be known who they are and we will respect that,” he added.
The review mission consists of the following members, according to KP sources:
Deputy Minister A. Kpandel Fayia – Liberia - Head of the mission.
Mr. Grobler - Australia,
Mr. Kaye - Ghana,
Mr. Ray - India,
Mr. Hamutenya - Namibia,
Mr. Moulton - South Africa,
Mr. Brooks-Rubin - USA,
Mr. Even-Zohar – World Diamond Council (WDC),
Mr. Davis - Global Witness,
Mr. Brownell - Green Advocates.
* Rapaport
