Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa  recently  commissioned a crushing plant of the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) at Chiadzwa, reports out of Africa stated. The launch of the plant marks Zimbabwe’s  “transition from alluvial to conglomerate diamond mining”, the report noted. As a result, analysts are expecting   a radical shift in the nature of the diamond industry in that country.

The equipment for the plant has been brought in from Belarus. This was a result of the initiative taken by the President while on a trip to Belarus in 2015 when he was serving as the Vice President of Zimbabwe.

“I am excited that this event marks a welcome turn of fortunes for the diamond industry in Zimbabwe,” President Mnangagwa has been quoted by The Herald as saying. “It is a sign of reassurance that the investment the Government made is creating the desired capacity to unlock maximum diamond value and its contribution to the socio-economic development of our great country.”

He is reported to have added: “In line with the national vision of increasing production across all sectors, I am advised that ZCDC has a vision to be among the top five producers of rough diamonds in the world in the next five years, with annual production of around 10 million carats. Thus the commissioning of this conglomerate crushing plant, with a capacity to produce around 650 000 carats per month at full capacity, augurs well with this vision.”

In conclusion he is said to have said: “The nation has huge expectations of the diamond sector to significantly contribute to our economic recovery and growth. You therefore have the onerous burden to deliver in the shortest possible time.”

Reportedly, the President also issued a stern warning against acts of corruption and/or misappropriation of resources,  which, he said, would be dealt with in a severe manner.