EIN NEWS :'Diamonds Can Help Transform Zim's Economy', 9 JAN

EIN NEWS :'Diamonds Can Help Transform Zim's Economy', 9 JAN

9 January 2015 , By Tendai Mugabe, Source: The Herald

Zimbabwe has the capacity to quickly transform its economic fortunes if it embraces the highly sophisticated diamond cutting and polishing technology being offered by Indian firm Sahajanand Laser Technology, Zanu-PF secretary for security Cde Shuvai Mahofa has said.

The state-of-the-art equipment from India, which is expected in the country early this year, under a joint venture between the Zimbabwe Diamond Technology Centre and Sahajanand Laser Technology, has the capacity to cut and polish 1,5 million stones a month.

Speaking after a tour of some of Sahajanand Laser Technology's cutting and polishing plants here yesterday, Cde Mahofa said Zimbabwe had a lot to learnfrom the Indian diamond market.

"I realised that you can do wonders within a minute or less with this kind of technology," she said.

"As Government, if we have a factory doing this we are able to clean all our diamonds and sell them as finished products.

"This will enable us to reap more profits than what we are doing now through selling of unpolished diamonds. This is what we have come to see and I think our people have the capacity to do this."

Cde Mahofa hailed the Zimbabwe Diamond Technology Centre for playing a pivotal role in aiding Government efforts to ensure that beneficiation of minerals locally becomes a reality."Our diamonds should benefit all our people and that is why we are roping in all progressive Zimbabweans in this endeavour of reviving our economy."

Zimbabwe Diamond Technology Centre chairman Mr Lovemore Kurotwi, said he was happy that the new equipment they were getting from India would fulfil President Mugabe's ambition to see Zimbabweans adding value to their resources before selling them.

"With the technology that we have been guaranteed by our new partners, there is nothing that we cannot do as a country.

"With the massive production of diamonds we are doing athome, certainly we will create thousands of jobs for our people."

Mr Kurotwi also signed another Memorandum of Understanding with Sahajanand Laser Technology that would see the Indian firm supplying Zimbabwe with medical, energy and agricultural equipment.

The MoU comes barely two weeks after the two firms had signed a joint venture agreement under which SahajanandLaser Technology would supply highly sophisticated diamond cutting and polishing equipment to Zimbabwe in the first quarter of this year. Mr Kurotwi said the agreement had opened a new chapter in Zimbabwe's economy.

"This is a new beginning for us as a country and Zimbabwe will never be the same again," he said.

"With this joint venture we anticipate to turn around our economy and make full value of our minerals."

Sahajanand Laser Technology managing director Dr Arvind Patel, said he was ready to visit Zimbabwe to formalise the agreement. "This is the beginning and we hope we can successfully do business together," he said.

"We are going to sign this deal again in Zimbabwe and do the real things aggressively and immediately." Sahajanand Laser Technology is a global company supplying more than 23 countries with diamond cutting and polishing equipment.