Zimbabwe’s permanent secretary for the ministry of mines and Mineral Development, Thankful Musukutwa, said he was not prepared to work with civil society’s Kimberley Process representative in the country, Farai Maguwu, The Standard reported.

Musukutwa, who represents the government at the Kimberley Process, claimed Maguwu had acted in a treasonous manner when he handed over a government document to KP monitor Abbey Chikane, during a fact finding mission in May. Maguwu was subsequently arrested and sat in jail until he was released on bail in mid-July, after which he was appointed to represented civil society in the Kimberley Process in the country.

“Maguwu has adopted a confrontational stance against government and as a civil servant unless government’s stance changes on that I am not prepared to work with him as a focal person for civil society,” Musukutwa reportedly said at a two-day capacity building workshop for the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy held at a city hotel.

Musukutwa was instrumental in drafting the working program with the Kimberley Process which ultimately enabled Zimbabwe to start exporting rough diamonds mined at the Marange fields. The second sale of the diamonds took place in September in Harare.

By Staff reporter and agencies