ALROSA Zimbabwe Starts Prospecting For Diamonds In Masvingo, Matebeleland
4 years agoWed, 22 Jul 2020 14:26:57 GMT
ALROSA Zimbabwe (Alrosa Zim), a joint venture between Russia’s leading diamond producer, Alrosa and the country’s State-owned miner, the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company, has started prospecting and preliminary exploration works for primary diamond deposits in Matabeleland region and Masvingo province.
The development was announced in a statement by Alrosa deputy chief executive officer Mr Vladimir Marchenko who indicated that after securing special grants from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Alrosa Zim had the environmental-impact assessment (EIA) approved by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA).
Marchenko added that the assessment paved way for prospecting and exploration in the Masvingo, Matebeleland South and Matebeleland North provinces.
Zimbabwe is among the top 20 diamond producing countries in the world, yet there is less on the ground to suggest the country is producing around 250 000 carats per year.
Some observers say it is premature to celebrate the possibility of the availability of the precious stones in the above-mentioned provinces after it was reported that some government officials and institutions engaged in corrupt activities which saw the country losing over USD15 billion worth of diamonds through smuggling and unsustainable deals.
More: Chronicle
