| ISBN | 9781779222886 |
| ePub ISBN | 9781779222893 |
| Pages | 236 |
| Dimensions | 210 x 148 mm |
| Illustrations | B/W Illustrations and Maps |
| Published | 2016 |
| Publisher | Weaver Press, Zimbabwe |
| Formats | Paperback, eBook |
Facets of Power
Politics, Profits and People in the Making of Zimbabwe's Blood Diamonds
edited by Richard Saunders, Tinashe Nyamunda
The diamond fields of Chiadzwa, among the world's largest sources of rough diamonds have been at the centre of struggles for power in Zimbabwe since their discovery in 2006. Against the backdrop of a turbulent political economy, control of Chiadzwa's diamonds was hotly contested. By 2007 a new case of 'blood diamonds' had emerged, in which the country's security forces engaged with informal miners and black market dealers in the exploitation of rough diamonds, violently disrupting local communities and looting a key national resource. The formalisation of diamond mining in 2010 introduced new forms of large-scale theft, displacement and rights abuses. Facets of Power is the first comprehensive account of the emergence, meaning and profound impact of Chiadzwa's diamonds. Drawing on new fieldwork and published sources, the contributors present a graphic and accessibly written narrative of corruption and greed, as well as resistance by those who have suffered at the hands of the mineral's secretive and violent beneficiaries. If the lessons of resistance have been mostly disheartening ones, they also point towards more effective strategies for managing public resources, and mounting democratic challenges to elites whose power is sustained by preying on them.
Reviews
"A shocking account of the Marange diamond tragedy which, instead of uplifting the lives of the poverty-stricken local people living in one of the most arid regions of Zimbabwe, dashed their hopes and exposed the ruthless and inhuman nature of a corrupt, selfish and shameless regime. … This well-researched book is a must tread, not only for this our present generation but for posterity – with a view to saying “never again”
"London and Antwerp are famous for major diamond robberies. These are nothing compared with what happened in Zimbabwe. Facets of Power is an insider’s look at one of the greatest and most disgraceful diamond heists of all time. It will help to ensure that Marange crimes and the criminals who committed them are not forgotten."
About the Editors
Richard Saunders is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science, York University, Canada, where he teaches African political economy and development. His current research focuses on the political economy of extractive resources, including issues of governance, participation and empowerment, and the potential for resource-fuelled ‘developmental states’ in the Global South. He has published widely on contemporary Zimbabwean politics, including Dancing Out of Tune: A History of the Media in Zimbabwe, and Never the Same Again: Zimbabwe’s Growth Towards Democracy 1980-2000.
Tinashe Nyamunda obtained a PhD in Africa Studies from the University of the Free State, South Africa, and a BA and MA from the University of Zimbabwe. His research is focused on the effects of financial policy on colonial and postcolonial Zimbabwe’s economy and the financial dimensions of the informal economy. He lived and worked in Manicaland in the early phases of the Marange diamond rush, later publishing accounts of artisanal diamond mining, cross-border business networks and the informal economy associated with that period. He is currently a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the International Studies Group, Centre for Africa Studies, University of the Free State.