Zimbabwe has suffered significant financial losses due to corruption involving rough diamonds, amounting to at least $20 billion, according to veteran economist and former parliament member Eddie Cross.
Cross accuses the late Robert Mugabe, who was prime minister from 1980 to 1987, of personally appropriating $1.3 billion from diamond revenues.
In a blunt blog post widely reported in Zimbabwean media, Cross, 84, highlights ongoing economic losses: “We continue to experience large-scale losses in economic output and income.”
Reflecting on his time in parliament in 2012, Cross recalls raising concerns about widespread theft from the newly discovered Marange diamond fields. These fields, spanning nearly 100,000 hectares, produced more carats than Botswana that year.
Diamond production at Marange began in 2006 after reserves were discovered by De Beers, and operations persist today.
Cross alleges that control over Marange was unlawfully seized by the Ministry of Mines and exploited by six government-linked companies, including those associated with the state president.
“My estimation is that Marange has generated nearly $30 billion in raw diamonds since its discovery,” Cross states. “Approximately one-third likely covered operational costs, but the remainder has vanished.”
He recalls Mugabe’s public query about the disappearance of $15 billion from mining activities, suggesting he already knew the answer, having allegedly taken $1.3 billion himself.
Cross claims corruption permeates all levels of government activities: “It’s widely acknowledged that certain ministries require payments for decisions. I once refused a bribe from a senior civil servant to sign a letter, asserting it was part of their job.”
He continues, “The corruption extends into the private sector as well. The Dubai Gold Exchange reported purchasing nearly 450 tonnes of gold from informal sources in Africa in 2023, valued at $32 billion, with a significant portion originating from Zimbabwe.”
