By Tadiwa Jery
In a report made by Reuters, The diamond industry in Zimbabwe produced a total of 3.2 million
carats of diamonds in 2020. With the government set to produce 11 million carats by 2023, meaning
there is still more work to be done in the diamond industry.
The Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC), which ranks as the biggest diamond miner
in the country, contributed a little over 70 percent of the nation’s production last year.
In an interview with Bloomberg, the Chief Executive Officer of ZCDC, Mr Mark Mabhudhu said that
mines in the east of the country have met their target of 200 000 carats per month and this was
made possible through the improved mining methods. These include a newly commissioned 450 ton
per hour metallurgical process plant and the expansion of operations from alluvial operations to
conglomerate ore processing.
In an effort to further boost the diamond industry, the President of Zimbabwe, His Excellency E.D
Mnangagwa officially reopened Anjin Diamond Mine in August 2020. With Anjin Diamond reopened,
the government is determined to increase diamond production to achieve the 2023 target.
The joint venture between ZCDC and Russia’s ALROSA aimed at developing diamond fields in the
country and geological exploration work is now in full swing. According to the ALROSA website, in
2020, the Russian company successfully shipped a mobile geological wash plant from Yakutia to
Zimbabwe. This advanced equipment increases efficiency and productivity.
As the country plans on turning the mining sector into a USD12 billion industry by 2023, the ZCDC
and other diamond mining companies are determined to attain this goal and make the industry
perform better than previous years.
