Parliament calls on government to investigate Kasukuwere over Marange–Zimunya Community Share Ownership Trust within 14 days

 8.5 The local traditional leadership was not happy that there was no compensation by the diamond mining companies who had destroyed local shrines, including the sacred Baobab Tree that was used as the place for rain-making ceremonies by Chief Mkwada and Chiadzwa.

8.6 The villagers could not hide their shock about the revelations made by His Excellency the President, Cde. Robert Mugabe that around $15 billion of diamond money was unaccounted for. They argued that the President must have been made aware of what was happening at the diamond fields as every Wednesday a plane would come to pick up diamonds for resale.

9.0    COMMITTEE FINDINGS

9.1 Marange-Zimunya Community Share Ownership Trust (CSOT)

9.1.1 After being reassigned to a different ministry in September 2013, Hon. Minister Saviour Kasukuwere continued to demonstrate an unusually keen interest in his former Ministry, to the extent that he remained highly visible in the public media, commenting on issues related to the Marange-Zimunya CSOT well beyond his tenure. Additionally, when the Hon. Minister Saviour Kasukuwere finally appeared before Committee, his submission did not offer any clarity whatsoever as to the authenticity of the pledges by mining companies. Moreover, his appearance before the committee was characterized by a clear intention to obstruct the Committee’s investigations and on one occasion, he made overt threats directed at the Committee Chairperson, Hon. Justice Mayor Wadyajena.

9.1.2 The Committee is persuaded to conclude that the Diamond mining companies never at any point pledged the US$10m apiece and the nation was misled by Hon. Minister Saviour Kasukuwere. There remains neither a clear paper trail nor recorded minutes between officials from the diamond mining companies and the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment. The Permanent Secretary as the Accounting Officer of Ministry of Youth, Indigenization and Economic Empowerment was never at any point involved by Hon. Minister Saviour Kasukuwere. The absence of supporting documents of such a nationally significant transaction  calls into question the official nature of the pledges, and lends credence to suspicious claims by both diamond mining companies and the community that the pledges were  the singular creation of the former Minister, Hon. Saviour Kasukuwere. No due diligence was conducted in the development of the legal constitution of M-Z CSOT. In particular, that there are no proper written and or verbal contracts or agreements amongst the key stakeholders within the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and diamond mining companies, reflecting the amount of money that each company should pay, the terms of payments and the reporting mechanisms. This has negatively affected the capitalization of the CSOT.

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