Zim Diamond Miners Finally Meet Parliamentary Committee

Mbada and Canadile had shunned three requests to appear before the parliamentary portfolio committee on Mines and Energy to answer questions relating to their mining activities in Chiadzwa.

But on Tuesday the two companies ended the boycott and first to appear before the 13 member parliamentary portfolio committee on Mines and Energy was Mbada which was led by its chairman Robert Mhlanga and six other directors who included Dave Kassel, who represents Grandwell, Mbada’s foreign partner.

Kassel told the committee that Mbada has so far mined more than 2 million carats of diamonds from Chiadzwa fields, which it will auction once it gets clearance from the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS).

Canadile also appeared before the Edward Chindori-Chininga chaired committee.

Grandwell of South Africa partnered the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) last year to form a joint venture company Mbada Investments which is mining diamonds in Chiadzwa. Another South African company Core Mining also partnered the ZMDC to form Canadile to mine the diamonds.