By Amin Kef (Ranger)
At the 8th Extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe on March 23rd, 2023 the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources of Sierra Leone, Musa Timothy Kabba, was elected as Vice President of the Association of African Diamond Producing Countries (ADPA)
The Minister’s election came about as a result of Sierra Leone’s strict compliance with the Kimberley Process Certification scheme for its diamonds and for the reforms he introduced in the mining sector.
It must be noted that the 8th Ordinary Meeting of the African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA) Committee of Experts and Council of Ministers 2023 was officially opened by President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the Elephant Hills Hotel, Victoria Falls.
President Mnangagwa implored African diamond producing countries to stop exporting unpolished diamonds underscoring how the continent must begin consolidate its footprint in the global diamond industry.
“Greater information sharing among member States of the African Diamond Producing Countries Association should progressively result in us having a louder and more effective voice in the affairs of the global diamond mining sector. The continued exportation of raw diamond is a misnomer, especially in view of the fact that Africa produces about 60 percent of the world’s diamonds. African diamond producing countries should now increase beneficiation and value chain development so that our countries become major producers of diamond jewelry and other accessories,” Mnangagwa said.
Zimbabwe officially assumed the chairmanship of the 19-member African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA), taking over from Tanzania.
The two-day ADPA meeting started with closed door sessions of technocrats drawn from the global diamond mining industry.
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Winston Chitando, who is the incoming ADPA Chair and his Tanzanian counterpart, Doto Biteko, who is Minister of Minerals and ADPA outgoing chair, were in attendance. Minister Chitando assumed the top role at the ADPA 8th Ordinary Meeting of Experts.
Elected also as Vice President of the Association was Sierra Leone’s Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Timothy.
Minister Chitando, in his remarks said Zimbabwe will take over from where Tanzania left in terms of programme towards the success and development of diamond mining in Africa. “As the incoming ADPA Chair in 2023 we are looking forward to continue the work that has been done in the ADPA. We are thankful to Tanzania for the work that they have carried out during the course of their tenure,” he said.
ADPA has its headquarters in Luanda, Angola. Zimbabwe also heads the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), the global diamond watchdog.
