Opinion
Opinion
Africa is rich in diamonds but still poor
For months now , Africa ' s rough diamonds have Concerns about the investment climate been increasing in value but the sale proceeds Benedict Mahona , an economics expert from do not reach the people . Instead , they bene t the University of Dar-es-Salam , told DW that metropolitan elites and the mine companies , the seizure of the diamonds from the which are usually foreign-owned .
Williamson mine was lawful . He explained that the customs laws of the East African Tanzanian police recently struck a blow against Community are unambiguous : Every product internat ional diamond smuggling . A that is imported or exported from the area must consignment of diamonds worth around 28 be correctly registered and declared . " Globally million euros ($ 33.4 million ) was seized at the operating companies are systematically country ' s main airport . Petra Diamonds , the plundering Africa ' s diamond resources , and biggest listed diamond company in the world , only a fraction of the stones are properly based in the tax haven of Jersey , had registered a declared and have duty paid on them ," Mahona consignment of 14 kilos ( 30 pounds .) However , said . He also commented that the the� of according to the Tanzanian authorities , it diamonds almost always happens with the help actually weighed 30 kilos . �e rough diamonds of corrupt locals . from the Williamson mine were intended for export to Belgium for processing .
At the same time , with its tough approach the
Tanzanian government runs the risk of �e Williamson mine in the north of Tanzania international companies withdrawing their is a joint venture . 75 percent belongs to Petra business and jobs being lost as a result , Diamonds , 25 percent to the Tanzanian according to Rebekka Rumpel , an expert in government . Tanzania ' s president , John natural resources at the London think-tank Magufuli , has declared that combating Chatham House . " Tanzania ' s tough approach is corruption in the mining sector is a priority for bound to impact negatively on the country ' s his government . His anti-corruption platform image ," she says . Rumpel reports that a largescale investor from Russia who wanted to mine played a large part in helping him to power in 2015 .
Tanzanian uranium has already put his project on hold , in part because he was worried about
Page20 | Sep - Oct 2017 | FMDZ the investment climate in Tanzania .
Corruption on both sides President Magufuli announced that Tanzanians might take over the diamond mines if the foreign companies continued to be a " problem ." Amani Mhinda , an activist with Haki Madini , describes this as " pure populism ." Haki Madini is a non-governmental organization that advocates transparency in business . " �at didn ' t work in the past , either ," says Mhinda . " Indigenous companies are at least as corrupt as foreign ones .”
Tanzania is more of a mid-level player on the African diamond market . �e East African country is ranked tenth among the continent ' s biggest diamond producers . �e Tanzanian government hopes that by 2025 the mining industry will contribute at least twice as much GDP as it has to date . At the moment its contribution is less than four percent .
Zimbabwe : Diamond money for the state apparatus of repression Diamonds have not brought prosperity to Zimbabwe , either . �ree quarters of people in Zimbabwe , Africa ' s �h largest diamond producer , live in extreme poverty . �e