Zimbabwe diamond company to comply with High Court order to stop mining

The Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) says it is yet to receive the High Court order barring it from mining in the Chiadzwa diamond fields with immediate effect until it has been granted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate but will comply.

“This is the High Court which has indicated that we should stop mining. We will comply with (the order) as soon as we receive it but at the moment we have not yet received it. We are not above the law, we comply with any directive that is given by the High Court,” chief executive Moris Mpofu said.

The process could take several days, he said.

High Court Judge David Mangota on Tuesday ordered ZCDC to stop mining in Chiadzwa pending approval of an EIA certificate by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA).

The state-owned miner had been dragged to court by community lobby group, Marange Development Trust (MDT), supported by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA).

“It (Environmental Impact Assessment) was in the process. So we are just working with EMA to get that done. It’s unfortunate that the High Court has ruled but the application of that certificate is a process. There are things we are still submitting to EMA to get the certificate and really to us this is not an issue because we are just waiting to get a certificate from EMA,” he said.

EMA officials declined to comment.

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