‘They are taking everything away from us’: autochthonous claims and the moral contestations over Chiadzwa diamonds, eastern Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT

This article focuses on the moral contestations of the people of Chiadzwa (eastern Zimbabwe) against their displacement from the area's communal lands and resettlement to Arda Transau by the Government of Zimbabwe to pave the way for large-scale diamond mining. We analyse how the villagers view, and react to allegations of diamonds related corruption, looting and state security brutality in the absence of perceived equitable redistribution of diamond proceeds to the people of Chiadzwa, while the state and investors benefit from the diamond extraction. The article is based on qualitative data drawn from in-depth interviews conducted with former Chiadzwa villagers who were relocated to Arda Transau. Employing the moral economy concept, we argue that the autochthonous claims to land and natural resources play a central role in peoples' contestations against the state and (external) market actors.

KEYWORDS:

• Moral economy
• autochthony
• Chiadzwa diamonds
• forced removal

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 The term invasion is a value-laden concept. We deliberately use this term to mean the large volumes of people who came into the fields in a very short space of time when the diamonds were discovered.

2 Harare is Zimbabwe’s capital city, situated about 400 km from Chiadzwa.

3 By this we mean ritual/religious/symbolic practices related to land and belonging.

4 Zimbabwean National Identity Cards capture the holder’s district of origin. In this case, 27 is the code for Gutu District the mines minister home district.

5 The Ndebele are Zimbabwe’s second biggest autochthonous ethnic group after the Shona. The former mines minister (when diamonds were discovered in 2006) was allegedly of Ndebele origin and was accused of employing and giving claims to the Ndebele while marginalising the local people. We could not verify the ethnic claims; however, other authors have confirmed the dominance of people purported to be of Ndebele origin in the mines ministry (particularly in managerial positions) during that time. He was succeeded by a Shona minister, who was accused of continued ethnic discrimination in Chiadzwa, albeit, with a sub-ethnic twist, favouring the Karangas (his alleged Shona sub-ethnic group) in Chiadzwa.

6 In 2017, Honourable Kasukuwere, the then minister of youth and indigenisation was accused of looting the Community Share Ownership Trust Fund in Chiadzwa. A parliamentary portfolio committee was then set up to investigate the use of the funds and it was reported that there were indications that Kasukuwere had prejudiced the Trust of more than US$50 million. The then chair of the portfolio committee, ZANU PF legislator Justice Mayor Wadyajena, argued that Kasukuwere should be investigated by the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Anti-Corrupt Commission for his illicit dealings with diamond money in Marange. See newzimbabwevision.com 15 October 2017.

7 This involved unregulated mining whereby villagers and those from outside Chiadzwa would mine the diamonds without any state sanction.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Patience Chadambuka

Patience Chadambuka is a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Community Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences at Midlands State University, Zimbabwe. She holds a PhD in Sociology from Rhodes University, South Africa. Patience researches and has published journal articles and book chapters and edited books on on land and agrarian studies, livelihoods, natural resource management, disability, climate change and Social Behaviour Change.

Felix Tombindo

Felix Tombindo is an anthropologist with research interests in rural livelihoods, fishing and everyday life. He recently submitted his doctoral thesis in African Studies and Anthropology at the University of Birmingham (awaiting viva). He has published on livelihoods and belonging; displacement and livelihood resilience; migration and development.

Tawanda Ray Bvirindi

Tawanda Ray Bvirindi is a lecturer in the department of Community Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences at Midlands State University, Zimbabwe. He holds a PhD in African Studies from the University of Free State, South Africa. His areas of interest include decoloniality; race, ethnicity, gender and identities; migration and climate change.