Back Print this page
Legalbrief   |   your legal news hub Friday 29 March 2024

Zimbabwe slams US diamond ban

Zimbabwe has slammed the US after its Customs and Border Protection announced it is blocking rough diamond imports from the Marange fields due to concerns that they were produced with forced labour. Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana said ‘we have a very strong revulsion towards any form of slavery or servitude’ and ‘even to suggest that Zimbabwe has some form of corporate forced labour is either mischievous or simply ignorant’. Fin24 reports that the agency has also targeted gold from the DRC. Legalbrief reports that the Marange diamond fields are small-scale mines in Chiadzwa and could be home to one of the world's richest diamond deposits. Production from Marange is controversial due to ongoing legal wrangles and government crackdowns on illegal miners and allegations of forced labour. In terms of carats produced, the Marange field is the largest diamond producing project in the world.