ZANU PF’s diamond ‘whistleblower’ Chindori-Chininga dies in car crash

SW Radio Africa

By Violet Gonda

2o June 2013

The ZANU PF MP for Guruve South, Edward Chindori-Chininga, died in a car crash in his constituency on Wednesday. No other vehicle was involved in the accident.

This has set Zimbabwe talking because last Wednesday he released a damning report about the involvement of ZANU PF officials and allies in the diamond industry.

Only two weeks ago the lawmaker was at the Kimberley Process meeting in South Africa and delegates told SW Radio Africa he was openly critical of the diamond situation in Zimbabwe.

The maverick politician was known in the diamond world as a man who tried to shine a light on the murky practices at the Marange Diamond fields.

Alan Martin the director of research at Partnership Africa Canada, a civil society organization that is part of the Kimberley Process, communicated extensively with Chindori- Chininga in recent weeks. He revealed on the Hot Seat programme how Chindori-Chininga told him earlier this month that he knew he was a “marked man” and that his work as chairman of the parliamentary committee on mines and energy had ended his political career in ZANU PF.

The former mines minister is said to have told delegates at a workshop in South Africa two weeks ago that some of the individuals in government who complained about the targeted western sanctions were the same people who were benefitting the most by the restrictions, because the sanctions allowed them to operate in the grey zone.

“I got the sense in the meetings I had with him in early June that I think he recognized that his work on this issue had certainly ended his political career. He was very open about how ZANU PF was not going re-sign his nomination papers to run as a ZANU PF candidate.

“And I think perhaps his parting shot was that he wanted to have a definitive record of what his committee’s observation had been of this issue before the parliamentary period closed next week,” Martin said.

Last week, Chindori- Chininga presented a highly critical report to parliament on Zimbabwe’s diamond industry.

SW Radio Africa has also a copy of an email he wrote to various people, mainly international civil society organizations, sharing the contents of this report.

Owing to the sheer number of Zimbabwean politicians who have died in mysterious car crashes, speculation is rife on social forums that he died at the hands of individuals in the state security apparatus, who are loyal to ZANU PF.

Many people believe that when cornered, ZANU PF can be extremely ruthless towards its own people.

Some of the senior officials who died in car accidents that were regarded as suspicious include three political commissars; Moven Mahachi, Border Gezi and Elliot Manyika. Others include the commander of the ZANLA forces, Josiah Tongogara who died in an accident in Mozambique just before independence. Then there was the death of former army general Solomon Mujuru who died in a mysterious fire at his farm. Rumours circulated at the time that his death might be linked to diamonds.

Martin noted that the timing of Chindori-Chininga’s fatal accident, with the elections and the release of the report, makes people wonder if there was a sinister hand at play.

Partnership Africa Canada is one of the international organizations that extensively used the findings of the parliamentary portfolio committee in their reports and Martin said it revealed important information, which included how Mines Minister Obert Mpofu had “stacked the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation with his cronies, sister-in-law, his personal assistant and people with zero mining experience.”

As a former mines minister Chininga knew his subject well. He was also well known for interrogating people who testified before the committee, and would remind officials he knew were lying that they were under oath.

Chindori-Chininga described those who controlled Zimbabwe’s diamond sector as “diamond barons” and tried to use his position as the chairman of the portfolio committee to get to the truth about the Marange diamonds.

His committee showed how millions of dollars in royalties, paid by diamond firms, have disappeared. Mbada Mining said it had paid $293 million in taxes over four years but the government said it had received only $82 million.

“This was a pretty astounding thing and I think he was very clear in directing the responsibility for this directly at the executive, particularly the minister of mines,” Martin said.

Despite doing the right thing on the issue of diamonds, there are others who say he was still part of the ZANU PF machinery because in 2008 there were serious human rights abuses in his constituency, Guruve South, during the election period.

SOME FACEBOOK REACTIONS:

ZLHR spokesperson and journalist Kumbirai Mafunda
“Chindori-Chininga, Gone too soon. He was just one of the few Zanu PF members who patronised the Quill Club. I first met him either in 2003 or 2004 when I had an interview with him at his (the then) Mines and Energy Development Minister at Zimre Centre, corner Leopold Takawira and Union Avenue (then) in Salisbury. I was to associate with him years later on now as a lowly newsletter man in the Quill Club, he was one of the few Parliamentarians and ZANU PF members who was so passionate/addicted or exploited social media particularly Facebook to communicate. He would stick to his laptop while we chat in the Quill Club. Here, Valentine Maponga, Kwenda, Takura, Tabani, Nkosana can testify. We also had our few moments of disagreeing but surprising aipera zvakanaka even though taimbotsamwisana nenyaya dzekutongwa kwenyika idzi. Rest in Peace Honorable Chindori-Chininga.”

MDC 99 President Job Sikhala
“Hey, waking up and finding out this sad news that Hon. Edward Chindori Chininga is no more. I worked with him in Parliament and the man was quite humble and sober and was always one of the most eloquent interpreters of documents written in French. He would engage everyone on very important issues and share his experiences in life as the person who lived much of his life in French speaking countries. TRUE, to our adage that “munhu akanaka haararame”. May your dear soul rest in eternal peace, the gentle giant.”

Facebook commentator Brighton Musonza
“I think the best we can all do now is to allow the Hon Edward Takaruza Chindori-Chininga’s family to mourn one of their own in peace and dignity and allow them the privacy they deserve without us inflaming it into over drive super-spin. The initial reaction from last night was that of shock to everyone and we all said stuff but let us be a bit more civilised and be the people of Christian values and take note that we are in the middle of elections and a very fragile transitional process. With the growth of Social media, there is urgent need for embedded inherent self control as individuals to keep ourselves in check for the good of organised societies.”

Education Minister David Coltart
“I am sorry to hear of the death of Edward Chindori Chininga this evening. A brave MP whose recent exposé of corruption in mining was superb.”