The Herald Newspaper, published by the government of Zimbabwe, says that the country is ‘set to start selling its diamonds after complying with the recommendations by Kimberley Process monitor Abbey Chikane’.

Abbey Chikane visited Zimbabwe during the first week of March on a fact-finding mission as the Kimberley Process Monitor on Zimbabwe in response to an invitation from the government of Zimbabwe.

Mines and Mining Development Secretary Thankful Musukutwa says his ministry had invited Abbey Chikane again since the recommendations he made during his early March visit have been complied with.

"We have invited the KP monitor. We want him to come and certify our diamonds because we are ready. His first visit was exploratory and he made some recommendations which we feel have been complied with. In our invitation we indicated we were ready,” explains Musukutwa.

Musukutwa says that both Mbada Holdings and Canadile Miners, the two firms which have partnered the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation in the exploration of diamonds at Chiadzwa, are ready for Kimberley Process requirements, adding that “we are now just awaiting the go-ahead from the monitor in compliance with the KP certification scheme”.

Mbada and Canadile last month told a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy that they were 100 percent compliant with KP requirements, adding that the lack of KP certification was affecting their operations, reports the Herald.