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Certification Scheme clea-red it to resume exports from Mara-nge.
The KPCS has lifted its objections to the country’s right to sell diamonds from Marange, a move that will increa-se inflows into Treasury and enable the State to increase civil servants’ sala-ries.
Zimbabwe has at least five operational diamond mines – River Ranch in Beitbridge, the Rio Tinto-owned Murowa in Zvishavane and Mbada, Marange and Ainjin in Marange.
In January, President Mugabe said diamond money was flowing into Treasury and the money should be used to improve salaries for civil servants.
Civil servants earn an average of US$200 a month.
The President, who is also the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe De-fence Forces, has also said the Mara-nge diamonds would be the “punch” needed to knock down illegal sanctions imposed on the country.
Zimbabwe has sold diamonds worth nearly US$170 million because of the restrictions by KPCS.
According to Zimbabwe Mining De-velopment Corporation chairman Mr Godwills Masimirembwa, Zimbabwe has recorded proceeds amounting to US$313 504 567 in limited sales since January last year.
Of this money, the Government received US$166 883 650,67 between March 2010 and February this year.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti clai-med that there were discrepancies on the figures Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu said had found their way to the Exchequer.
This prompted a verification and reconciliation exercise which confirmed money was flowing into Treasury, leaving Minister Biti with no excuse not to award civil servants a salary increase.
KPCS chairman Mr Mathieu Yamba of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in letters to members, said all unresolved issues on Zimbabwe would be addressed at a Working Group on Monitoring meeting scheduled to take place in November.
The US and the EU, who have been on a campaign to ensure that Zimbabwe is not allowed to export its diamonds using unsubstantiated claims of human rights abuses, are opposed to the latest move by Mr Yamba.
According to IDEX online, Mr Yamba said any decision by the KP to stop a country’s diamond exports must be subject to a “more credible mechanism that includes verification of allegations and due process.”
The KP chairman said Clause 3 (b), which was inserted at the instigation of the US in a suggested decision allowing Zimbabwe to export its diamonds, caused problems in terms of KP rules and regulations.
The clause, which Zimbabwe has rejected, says the country will be barred from selling its diamonds if any three of the KP members raise any reservations on human rights issues at Marange.
The US, Canada and Australia – who are all KP members – have, as a matter of policy, since they imposed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe at the turn of the century, claimed alleged human rights violations in the country.
Early this month, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Ms Sarah Page visited Zimbabwe in an attempt to have Zimbabwe support Washington’s bid for the KP vice presidency.
Zimbabwe rejected the US candidature saying it had to first remove its objections against the exportation of diamonds from Marange and remove the illegal sanctions it has imposed on Harare. However, following Mr Yamba’s decision, the US issued a warning to the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and India that the names of all diamond companies buying gems from Zimbabwe will be published on a government website.
The United States also reportedly plans to ask the Office of Foreign Assets Control to keep a close watch on all diamond transactions.
OFAC has on various occasions been used to implement the illegal embargo on Zimbabwe.