ZCDC sets US$6 million target towards Corporate Social Responsibility

The Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) has announced its goal of raising US$6 million for corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Speaking at a media workshop in Mutare, Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honorable Advocate Misheck Mugadza praised ZCDC for their efforts to improve the quality of life for the people of Manicaland.

“I am proud that our state miner ZCDC has not only created employment for the people of Manicaland province, but is also investing in various corporate social responsibility programmes to give back to the community and to support our national agenda of economic development,” he said.

“ZCDC has set a target of US$6 million as part of its corporate social responsibility thus contributing towards the improvement of health, education, infrastructure among others,” he added.

The Chiadzwa area of Manicaland Province has witnessed significant improvements, owing to the various initiatives implemented by the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company.

Chiwadzwa Primary School, in particular, has greatly benefited from the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility program, as ZCDC has successfully constructed two classroom blocks on the premises.

The ongoing media workshop dubbed “Equipping the Media to achieve Informative and Responsible Diamond Mining Reporting” is in line with the government’s goal of fostering transparency and accountability in the diamond mining industry.

“In a bid to complement Government’s efforts to have a transparent and accountable diamond mining industry, ZCDC will this week host the media fraternity to a workshop and Chiadzwa mine tour. This is a move to empower the media and expose them to appreciate our business, allowing them to fully understand all diamond mining processes thereby achieving informative and responsible diamond mining reporting,” ZCDC Head of Public Relations and Community Development, Mr. Sugar Chagonda said.

He said the state miner is deliberate and strategic about diamond mining which is critical for sustainable development.

“The diamond mining industry, particularly in Zimbabwe is shrouded by a lot of misunderstanding and misconceptions even amongst the media, resulting in uninformed reportage in some cases. It is our duty to engage with the media to inform, demystify and share the correct perspective about the diamond mining industry. We strongly believe that this will in turn result in knowledgeable journalists who will share correct information with the public thereby influencing the understanding of diamond mining in Zimbabwe,” Chagonda added.

The media workshop is being held at a time Zimbabwe is preparing to host the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) plenary session from 5 – 11 November 2023, in Victoria Falls.