Artisanal Miner Dies in Chiadzwa Diamond Fields

By Business Reporter- The Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) has condemned the killing of a 66-year-old artisanal miner in the Chiadzwa diamond fields, renewing calls for the immediate demilitarisation of Zimbabwe’s mineral-rich Marange area.Zimbabwean legal consulting

In a press statement issued in Harare on 11 February 2026, CNRG said Mr Tafadzwa Chamatumba of Chief Marange died following alleged assaults while in custody at Mashukashuka base in the Chiadzwa diamond fields.

The organisation described the death as part of a “long-standing and deeply troubling pattern of violence, abuse, and intimidation” against artisanal miners in Marange.

CNRG cited a police memorandum dated 8 February 2026 which allegedly pointed to excessive use of force and torture, raising concern over what it called the continued normalisation of violence in the diamond fields.

The Marange diamond fields have been under heavy military influence since 2008, when the Zimbabwean army launched a controversial operation to take control of diamond mining following chaotic artisanal rushes. At the time, reports by local and international watchdogs alleged widespread abuses, including beatings, forced labour and killings.

In its latest statement, CNRG reminded government that in November 2008 it committed to a phased withdrawal of the army from Marange under a Joint Work Plan agreed with the Kimberley Process. The civil society group argues that the military presence has persisted despite that commitment.


The organisation says policing of mining areas should be civilian and grounded in human rights standards, rather than “counter-insurgency tactics used in war zones”.

Zimbabwe’s diamond and broader mineral sector has long been viewed as strategically important to the state, both economically and politically. Over the years, control of diamond concessions in Marange has involved joint ventures between state-linked entities and foreign investors, including Chinese firms.

Analysts and civil society groups have frequently raised concerns about the opacity surrounding mining contracts, revenue flows, and the role of security forces in protecting concessions. Allegations — repeatedly denied by authorities — have circulated in political and diplomatic circles suggesting that mineral concessions may at times be leveraged in broader geopolitical arrangements, including defence cooperation agreements.

While there is no publicly verified evidence of direct barter arrangements involving diamonds in exchange for military hardware, watchdog groups argue that the securitisation of extractive zones and the close relationship between political elites, the military establishment and foreign mining investors warrant greater transparency.

CNRG said the latest death “underscores structural failures in diamond governance in Zimbabwe” and exposes what it calls the nexus between militarisation, extractive interests and human rights abuses.

Calls for Accountability
The organisation is demanding:

Immediate demilitarisation of the Marange diamond fields;
An independent and transparent investigation into Chamatumba’s death;
Formal recognition and protection of artisanal miners’ livelihoods; and
Reform of the Kimberley Process definition of “conflict diamonds” to include systematic human rights abuses committed by state actors .
CNRG argues that the Kimberley Process’s narrow focus on rebel-linked conflict diamonds has allowed abuses by state and private security actors to evade international scrutiny .