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Opinion Tafadzwa Musarara
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe’s veto of Australia’s bid to chair the Kimberly Process caused a logjam with sparks flying during the plenary which was held in Guangzhong a fortnight ago. The veto decision demonstrated the legendary Zimbabwean leader’s diplomatic prowess in the diamond regulatory body.
Australia, a diamond mining member of the KPCS, threw in a surprise 30 days before plenary when it announced its intention to stand to be elected Vice Chair of the organisation, pitting itself against the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  According to the standing statutes, the vice chair automatically becomes the chair. Traditionally, election bids are submitted in May to allow adequate time for consultation among members.

Canberra’s late bid came six months after the United Arab Emirates had submitted its bid for the Vice Chair position. In fact, UAE first submitted its bid in 2012 but withdrew it in order to allow South Africa, China and Angola to take over the reins for 12 months periods.

The late bid submission by Australia drew suspicion from African and Asian countries that felt Canberra, sponsored by USA and Canada, wanted to get in the chair and regurgitate the rejected issue of draconian reforms.

But, with clear and precise instructions from Mines Minister Walter Chidakwa, Deputy Attorney General Kumbirayi Hodzi, who was heading the Zimbabwe delegation, took no prisoners.

“We rejected the Australian bid to be elected to the chair this of august organization for two reasons,” said Hodzi. “Firstly Australia has a raft of sanctions against Harare which include a travel ban on His Excellency the President and other key cabinet ministers. So, in the event that the President wants to attend then he will be incapacitated to do so to represent a government that he got a resounding mandate to form and lead.

“During the meeting, Australia failed to give us that guarantee that our President and or of any serving cabinet Ministers would be allowed into Australia when it assumes the chairmanship which comes with the responsibility to host the Intercessional and the Plenary meetings. Secondly, Australia stood in our way when we were seeking re-certification in KP. Likewise, we are returning the favour. It’s simply an act of diplomatic reciprocity!”

UAE endured a torturous de-campaigning from the western-sponsored Partnership Africa Canada led by former Canadian opposition politician Allan Martin accusing it of transfer pricing and attacking the civic society. They went further to attack the Dubai diamond exchange organised Zimbabwe Diamond Conference. The government of Australia, through Australia Aid, funds Partnership Africa Canada to the tune of $1.3 million annually.

Kimberly Process’ jurisdiction is only restricted to eliminating diamonds that are used by rebels to unseat legitimate governments. It does not matter if the diamonds are mined and distributed for free.

Martin’s claim on transfer pricing by UAE is alien to the founding and current statutes of KP. Transfer pricing is a complex matter that requires forensic auditors and other specialists. KP does not have such skill and is consequently incompetent to hear and preside on such matters.

Zimbabwe is now seen as the apex body of opposition to the machinations of western countries, who import new rules which, from afar, seem benign but are crafted to indict some members in the fullness of time. When the Zimbabwe delegation objected to the new rule that allows civic society to also chair some of the working groups committee meetings, the USA representative frowned and complained that the objection was unnecessary and retrogressive.

However, Farai Mutamangira hit back and said, “It must be clear that civic society and their fellow NGO colleagues are simply observers and cannot make decisions in KP.  The observer’s role, as epitomized by the practice in United Nations, is to watch events happening and give their own comments when invited to do so. Civic society is now an elephant in the room. So, how can it then apply that those who can’t make decisions are allowed to chair. This new clause must be deleted in its entirety.”

Other African diamond mining countries later joined in the fight and supported the Zimbabwe position. The grand plan by the USA in this regard was to use the civic society to undertake all the dirty work against its enemies, things which Washington can’t do on its own possibly due to diplomatic limitations. When the proposed rule was deleted, a US representative loudly whispered in frustration and said, “Another bomb from Bob.”

With the benefit of hindsight, many western countries would have handled the Marange case differently. The resistance on intellectual debates in KP by Zimbabwe has indeed seen high staff turnover of representatives of the US , Canada and EU. However, the US seemed to have re-deployed its special agent from the UN Security Council and paired her against Farai Mutamangira. But due to lack of institutional memory by the US representative and poor articulation skills, Mutamangira literally had the poor woman for breakfast.

The continued weakening of western hegemony in KPCS is attributed to the raging fight between the US and Zimbabwe. Cornered during the debate an Australian representative appealed to the presiding chair to remind Zimbabwe that “KP is not a football pitch for political contestations.” But how can that not be when the ZIDERA binds US representatives on multinational institutions such as KP to block and oppose any support to Zimbabwe.

The agenda Australia wants to execute during its term as KP Chair is apparently sinister, evil and seeks to perpetuate western supremacy.

The white Australian government is currently prosecuting an apartheid system against the Aborigines and it would be naïve for anyone not to expect the importation of such discriminatory practice into the KP.

African diamond producing countries discovered that Australia had agreed to undertake the hatchet job of sneaking back the issue of reforms on the agenda so that certain KP members are deregistered.

The motive is believed to have been authored by De Beers which is desperate to regain its monopolistic position in the world diamond industry. The ghost of its founder, Cecil John Rhodes, continues to haunt the diamond endowed African countries.

Secondly, Australia is expected to heavily fund Partnership Africa Canada, a project of Canadian intelligence services, to pen damning reports against “unfriendly” nations such as Zimbabwe as part of a grand plan to cause a re-certification.

The surprise reappearance of Farai Maguwu, a Zimbabwean working with foreigners against the growth of our diamond sector, who had been dumped by USAID over failure to account for a grant advanced, was a tell-tale sign.

Thirdly, Australia wants to promote artisanal mining (makorokoza) and enforce participant governments to enact laws that allow these small-time panners to mine diamonds. The aim is to shift the current  control and ownership of governments on the current mining companies and re-distribute to gullible small timers who will be amenable to the “business of the west.”

This is a long-term scheme meant to ensure that African governments, particularly Zimbabwe, do not benefit directly from the proceeds of their diamonds because revenue collection from panners is difficult, if not impossible.

“Africa must never think that colonisation ended. It was simply defeated. Like the virus of tuberculosis, colonisers can re-emerge. Australia is bad news!” said one African delegate.