Zimbabwe: Diamond Mines
Ellen Lakin
5/18/09
World History
Zimbabwe's new nastiest ailment has caught the hearts of nearly 10,000 citizens; diamond fever (Fariria). At the Marange diamond fields in Zimbabwe, the "illegal miners" (the citizens that fled to the diamond rush) and the government have hastily butted heads. Throughout the country the diamond mines have affected the government and the citizens in a negative way. The citizens have fled their homes, families, and childhood neighborhoods to run to the diamond mines they have heard such great things about (Dixon). All while the government has been trying to keep the illegal miners, and the black market sales of diamonds under control (Thornycroft).
The diamond mines in Zimbabwe have only affected the citizens in a negative way. When the citizens throughout Zimbabwe heard stories of people’s lives being changed by the diamond mines, they were enthused. They heard of people like Godwin Muti, who was once an unemployed, single, father-of-two, barely able to pay the rent for the one room house he lived in, until he rushed to the diamond mines. He is now living a middle class life owning a sedan car and many houses beyond his wildest dreams (Farira). Over 10,000 people of Zimbabwe left their homes, low wage jobs, and safety for the dangers of the diamond mines, all searching for riches (Dixon). The conditions of the diamond mines are horrible. There’s up to 10,000 people digging within two meters of each other; no toilet facilities; no water; in fact, you could buy diamond with water. Dirk Benade, a veteran geologist, said, “A lot of local tribeswomen were coming here with water and buying diamonds with the water. So it was terrible, nowhere to sleep, they all just slept in huddled in gullies, or wherever they were, and the flies just became a huge, huge, huge problem. It was absolutely terrible. ”(Thornycroft). Citizens had the thoughts, “Why should I suffer when I can easily go to a mining town and become a rich person?” School teachers in schools nearby the diamond mines would abandon their classrooms to join the diamond rush- even their students followed (Farira). With all the citizens endangering their lives to work in the diamond mine’s horrible conditions, they never expected what came next. The government began cracking down on the illegal miners, weakening their ties with their citizens even more.
The government in Zimbabwe has only negatively been affected by the diamond mines in the country. When the mines started the government encouraged the citizens’ surface mining. They, however, set up a policy that ordered the miners to sell their stones, mostly industrial grade diamonds, to the government. But the new miners said that the government was offering far lower prices than the private gem traders who traveled to the mines (Thornycroft). Local industry figures say that in the last 12 months, high-quality diamonds have increasingly been turning up. The Reserve Bank chief, Gideon Gono, said that last month more than 500 syndicates were operating in Marange, and estimated that the government was losing $1.2 billion in diamond revenue every month. Used to, the diamond mines would have low wage, working police officers with their dogs there to chase the illegal miners off the land. It then became quite suspicious when the poor police officers, earning less than $10 a month were driving new cars too. Thousands of the miners had found a way around the police officers. They formed syndicates with the police officers manning the fields essentially, paying off the policemen so that they could still mine for the diamonds. The government was outraged and has started new tactics. They’ve sent helicopters, and heavily armed soldiers to the mines. It is the beginning of the brutal campaign to remove illegal miners and diamond dealers once and for all (Farira). Reports then began to filter through that bodies of dead panners were piling up at the mortuaries in surrounding hospitals. Also, an unknown number of bodies were scattered in the forests surrounding the fields. Several had died from gunshot wounds while the others had succumbed to diseases like cholera (Dixon). With the killing of innocent miners under their belt, the government is starting to prove that they will show no mercy, until the illegal mining has ended.
The diamond mines in Zimbabwe have done nothing but effect the country in a negative way. They are losing citizen’s lives to the conditions of the mines, and even the government’s doing. The government officials have reported losing large sums of money each month now from the illegal mining and selling of the diamonds. They thought of no way to stop this, but by sending in more brutal reinforcements. This is, again, weakening their ties with the citizens even more. Yes, it has made many citizens rich, but it has put them in horrible conditions with only the slight chance of finding a large diamond to sell. It has pulled people from their jobs and families, and left the government with no choice but to kill the illegal miners.
Works Cited
Anonymous. "Blood diamonds?." Economist.com/ Global Agenda 6 Apr. 2009: 1-2.
Dixon, Robyn. "Zimbabwe's deadly diamond fever (page 4) - Los Angeles Times." Popular Articles, Stories & Photos from the Los Angeles Times News Archives. 12 May 2009 <http://articles.latimes.com/2008/dec/04/world/fg-diamonds4?pg=3>. This article outlined the whole history of the diamonds "fever" and how it is very dangerous.
Farira, David. "BBC NEWS | Africa | Eerie silence at Zimbabwe mine." BBC NEWS | News Front Page. 12 May 2009 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7761268.stm>. This helped because it was a very modern article on the subject.
Thornycroft, Peta. "Zimbabwe Government Seizes Diamond Mine." VOA News - Voice of America - English News Homepage. 15 Dec. 2006. 13 May 2009 <http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2006-12/2006-12-15-voa18.cfm>.
Last updated by: Ellen Lakin 5/23/09
5/18/09
World History
Zimbabwe's new nastiest ailment has caught the hearts of nearly 10,000 citizens; diamond fever (Fariria). At the Marange diamond fields in Zimbabwe, the "illegal miners" (the citizens that fled to the diamond rush) and the government have hastily butted heads. Throughout the country the diamond mines have affected the government and the citizens in a negative way. The citizens have fled their homes, families, and childhood neighborhoods to run to the diamond mines they have heard such great things about (Dixon). All while the government has been trying to keep the illegal miners, and the black market sales of diamonds under control (Thornycroft).
The diamond mines in Zimbabwe have only affected the citizens in a negative way. When the citizens throughout Zimbabwe heard stories of people’s lives being changed by the diamond mines, they were enthused. They heard of people like Godwin Muti, who was once an unemployed, single, father-of-two, barely able to pay the rent for the one room house he lived in, until he rushed to the diamond mines. He is now living a middle class life owning a sedan car and many houses beyond his wildest dreams (Farira). Over 10,000 people of Zimbabwe left their homes, low wage jobs, and safety for the dangers of the diamond mines, all searching for riches (Dixon). The conditions of the diamond mines are horrible. There’s up to 10,000 people digging within two meters of each other; no toilet facilities; no water; in fact, you could buy diamond with water. Dirk Benade, a veteran geologist, said, “A lot of local tribeswomen were coming here with water and buying diamonds with the water. So it was terrible, nowhere to sleep, they all just slept in huddled in gullies, or wherever they were, and the flies just became a huge, huge, huge problem. It was absolutely terrible. ”(Thornycroft). Citizens had the thoughts, “Why should I suffer when I can easily go to a mining town and become a rich person?” School teachers in schools nearby the diamond mines would abandon their classrooms to join the diamond rush- even their students followed (Farira). With all the citizens endangering their lives to work in the diamond mine’s horrible conditions, they never expected what came next. The government began cracking down on the illegal miners, weakening their ties with their citizens even more.
The government in Zimbabwe has only negatively been affected by the diamond mines in the country. When the mines started the government encouraged the citizens’ surface mining. They, however, set up a policy that ordered the miners to sell their stones, mostly industrial grade diamonds, to the government. But the new miners said that the government was offering far lower prices than the private gem traders who traveled to the mines (Thornycroft). Local industry figures say that in the last 12 months, high-quality diamonds have increasingly been turning up. The Reserve Bank chief, Gideon Gono, said that last month more than 500 syndicates were operating in Marange, and estimated that the government was losing $1.2 billion in diamond revenue every month. Used to, the diamond mines would have low wage, working police officers with their dogs there to chase the illegal miners off the land. It then became quite suspicious when the poor police officers, earning less than $10 a month were driving new cars too. Thousands of the miners had found a way around the police officers. They formed syndicates with the police officers manning the fields essentially, paying off the policemen so that they could still mine for the diamonds. The government was outraged and has started new tactics. They’ve sent helicopters, and heavily armed soldiers to the mines. It is the beginning of the brutal campaign to remove illegal miners and diamond dealers once and for all (Farira). Reports then began to filter through that bodies of dead panners were piling up at the mortuaries in surrounding hospitals. Also, an unknown number of bodies were scattered in the forests surrounding the fields. Several had died from gunshot wounds while the others had succumbed to diseases like cholera (Dixon). With the killing of innocent miners under their belt, the government is starting to prove that they will show no mercy, until the illegal mining has ended.
The diamond mines in Zimbabwe have done nothing but effect the country in a negative way. They are losing citizen’s lives to the conditions of the mines, and even the government’s doing. The government officials have reported losing large sums of money each month now from the illegal mining and selling of the diamonds. They thought of no way to stop this, but by sending in more brutal reinforcements. This is, again, weakening their ties with the citizens even more. Yes, it has made many citizens rich, but it has put them in horrible conditions with only the slight chance of finding a large diamond to sell. It has pulled people from their jobs and families, and left the government with no choice but to kill the illegal miners.
Works Cited
Anonymous. "Blood diamonds?." Economist.com/ Global Agenda 6 Apr. 2009: 1-2.
Dixon, Robyn. "Zimbabwe's deadly diamond fever (page 4) - Los Angeles Times." Popular Articles, Stories & Photos from the Los Angeles Times News Archives. 12 May 2009 <http://articles.latimes.com/2008/dec/04/world/fg-diamonds4?pg=3>. This article outlined the whole history of the diamonds "fever" and how it is very dangerous.
Farira, David. "BBC NEWS | Africa | Eerie silence at Zimbabwe mine." BBC NEWS | News Front Page. 12 May 2009 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7761268.stm>. This helped because it was a very modern article on the subject.
Thornycroft, Peta. "Zimbabwe Government Seizes Diamond Mine." VOA News - Voice of America - English News Homepage. 15 Dec. 2006. 13 May 2009 <http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2006-12/2006-12-15-voa18.cfm>.
Last updated by: Ellen Lakin 5/23/09
