Zimbabwe Police Claims to Have Sealed Off Rogue Mining Site

Following reports of continued diamond digging by police and military forces in Marange, Zimbabwe’s police said it has tightened supervision of the cordoned area. After evicting illegal diggers, police and military personnel were accused of continuing to mine themselves.

Police said they are attempting to “restore sanity”, setting up checkpoints to seal off the mining site in Marange. According to provincial police chief Obert Benge, only relatives of villagers living in the area qualify for clearance documents. “Senior officials who might intend to bulldoze their way into the fields will be prosecuted,” he added.

Last week police arrested William Nhara, a politician from the ruling party, as he was about to leave the country with a stash of diamonds, allegedly mined in Marange. Nhara, director of the Ministry without Portfolio, was arrested with a woman, identified as Lebanese national Carole El Martni.