Application Made For New Zimbabwe Diamond Deposits

After weeks of reports of unlicensed exploration activity in an as-yet undeveloped area of Zimbabwe, a government official has confirmed that a firm has submitted an application for a license to legally mine the area for diamonds, All Africa reports.

At a meeting discussing the country's mineral policies, Zimbabwe Deputy Mines and Mining Development Minister Gift Chimanikire said that a diamond company called Nan Jiang Africa Resources had requested a concession in Bikita, which borders the most diamond-rich area in the country, the Chiadzwa diamond fields.

While Nan Jiang is thought to be composed of both Chinese and Zimbabwean businesspeople alike, Chimanikire noted that the firm had been informed that it must comply with Zimbabwe's indigenization and empowerment laws if it is to be eligible to mine in the country. Those laws establish that native Zimbabweans must own at least 50% of the shares in any company granted a mining license in the country, according to All Africa.

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