The list of hardships and suffering linked to Zimbabwe's diamond mines is growing longer by the day. Since diamonds were discovered in the Marange fields in 2001, non-governmental organisations have been looking into abuse and dodgy dealings: Human rights violations; Opaque business deals; Unfair treatment of residents; Diamond smuggling. The Marange diamond fields are in Chiadzwa, Mutare District, in eastern Zimbabwe. Thousands of people have been displaced to make way for mining operations. Chinese mining companies and the Harare government made big promises to the displaced people, and their hopes are fading, with people saying they were duped to move out of their ancestral lands. When Zimbabwean villagers from Chiadzwa were relocated to Agricultural Rural Development Authority (Arda) Transau, a state-owned farm in Odzi, about 40km from Mutare, to pave way for diamond mining, they were promised better life by both the government and several Chinese mining companies. The government relocated more than 1 200 villagers from Chiadzwa to Arda Transau in 2009 after forcibly removing, in a bloody crackdown, more than 20 000 small-scale miners who had invaded the once-rich diamond fields in 2006. Promises, promises Arable lands, a US$5 000 compensation fee, grazing lands, schools and jobs are some of what the relocated residents were promised. Chinese mining companies that were among the seven companies given mining rights include Jinan and Anjin — a company jointly owned by Chinese company Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Company Limited and Matt Bronze, a company owned by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. When the government under Zimbabwe’s long-time ruler, the late Robert Mugabe, took over the diamond fields through the newly formed Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) in 2016, some of the relocated villagers were hopeful that the move would improve their livelihoods. Anjin was against Mugabe’s move and took his government to court. In 2019, Anjin joined mining companies ZCDC in Chiadzwa after it was given back its mining license following pressure from Beijing on President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who came to power after Mugabe was toppled through a military coup in November 2017. Hopes fading away Many relocated residents say they got an unfair deal. They are living in dilapidated houses while their children are learning in makeshift classes. This is no clean water and few jobs. “When I relocated to this area in 2010, this house was already cracking,” Jason Musiyanga (40), a father of three, said. Musiyanga, whose name has been changed to protect his identity for fear of reprisal, says no one is coming to his rescue. “I am living in fear. One day, this four-roomed house might just fall while I am asleep with my family,” he said. Not enough to go around Nomore Mamombe (51) said his one-hectare piece of land was not enough to accommodate his family of seven children with four of them married. “Back in Chiadzwa, I had a 16-hectare piece of land which was enough for my children to build their own houses when they get m