President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government has allocated fresh diamond mining claims to Anjin Investments in Chiadzwa, in Manicaland province, four years after the company was evicted from the mineral-rich area alongside other miners on allegations of under-declaring proceeds, the Zimbabwe Independent can reveal.
The decision to parcel out lucrative claims to Anjin Investments follows spirited lobbying by the Chinese government, which placed Mnangagwa under immense pressure to allow the miner back in Chiadzwa after a four-year hiatus.
In reality, Anjin Investments never left the diamond-rich Chiadzwa area, but only discontinued operations after the government terminated the miner's operating licence in 2016.
A senior official privy to the protracted negotiations which led to the restoration of Anjin's operating licence told the Independent this week that the government had finally caved in to Chinese demands, but went a step further by allocating the company fresh mining claims.
Although finer details pertaining to the size of the diamond concession remain hazy, a source this week hinted that the government "carefully identified a lucrative claim" to ensure that Anjin Investments would quickly return to profitability.
