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Sources in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development yesterday told our Harare bureau that the US government, through its Embassy in Harare, had written to the ministry inviting the Zimbabwean delegation to apply for visas.

Minister Mpofu and officials from parastatals that are supposed to attend the KP intercessional meeting are on the US and the European Union travel bans.

“The US Embassy in Harare has written to the ministry inviting the Zimbabwean delegation to apply for the visas so that they attend the KP meeting in America.

“This is a crucial meeting and Zimbabwe as one of the major producers of diamonds should attend,” said the source.

US Embassy Acting Public Affairs Officer in Harare, Ms Jillian Bonnardeaux, yesterday confirmed the US wanted Minister Mpofu and his delegation to attend the KP meeting. “The US government  expects the Minister (Mpofu) and his delegation to attend the meeting. We are looking forward to welcoming the Minister and his delegation in the United States,” she said.

Ms Bonnardeaux said the KP meeting was crucial and it was imperative for the Zimbabwean delegation to participate. “The Minister and other delegates have not yet applied for the visas…they have not been denied the visas yet. The meeting is very crucial and Zimbabwe needs to be represented,” she said.

Minister Mpofu could not be reached for comment yesterday as he was said to be out of the country.
Zimbabwe has faced a number of challenges in marketing the diamonds and recently the US placed Anjin Investments, one of the largest diamond producing companies in the world based at Marange on sanctions.

Government is however pinning hope on diamonds revenue to raise money for civil servants salaries and pay for other critical national requirements.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Tendai Biti, who is in Washington, on Thursday urged the US Government to reengage Harare. He warned that illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West were hurting ordinary people and not President Mugabe.

He said Treasury had also expected a $600 million boost in 2012 from diamond sales but some of the companies operating in Marange fields were slapped with sanctions by the US.

Minister Biti said he had not received any money from diamond sales in the first quarter of the year.
He was addressing the Atlantic Council, a Washington thinktank and policy group, on progress made in Zimbabwe’s economic recovery and how to move the country out of its  political impasse.