President Robert Mugabe has accused the Chinese diamond mining companies of making false promises to the people of Chiadzwa, saying that they never deposited the money they promised for development. He also accused the Chinese of using him, to hoodwink the people of Chiadzwa. He added that the government had kicked them out of the Chiadzwa diamond fields as a result. Speaking at Friday’s rally in Mutare Mugabe said:
You have grievances as people of Manicaland and we are aware of that. We know that you had expected money to be deposited in the Community Share Ownership Scheme like what happened in Zvimba (Mugabe’s home area), but it never came. The Chinese used us and that is why we kicked them out.
Even me, an old man, I feel used. They made me walk around waving dummy cheques, yet they never fulfilled the promise they gave. We then had a misunderstanding with the Chinese and we kicked them out along with the South Africans and the Lebanese. They lied to me, but we will not forget the people of Manicaland.
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