21 In March, the state-controlled Herald newspaper reported that the chairperson of Canadile, Cougan Matanhire, told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy that they had only been allocated 1,050 hectares of land and were holding discussions with the relevant authorities regarding their request to be given more land. He claimed they had brought US$100 million from South Africa and it did not make business sense as the exploration work would only last for eight months. He said that, when they were negotiating with the ZMDC, they negotiated for the entire claim, “including the land that Mbada is now mining.” 84 On May 10, Zimbabwean military commanders were reported to be issuing military work permits to Chinese soldiers to operate in the Marange diamond fields following a secret memorandum of understanding signed with Chinese authorities. This was said to have been facilitated by Army Commander General Constantine Chiwenga during his numerous trips to the Far East. The permits were said to be in exchange for military hardware. 85 On May 16, it was reported that a Chinese company, rumoured to be owned by the Chinese military, had received rights to mine diamonds in Zimbabwe's Marange area. The company, named Anjin, had reportedly moved to Chiadzwa two months previously and had begun preparatory work there. 86 11 CANADILE DUMPED AMID FRAUD CLAIMS On November 4, it was reported that five officials from ZMDC and Lovemore Kurotwi, from Canadile, had been arrested over an alleged US$2 billion fraud. Canadile’s operations had been suspended, its equipment confiscated and its directors barred from entering the country. 87 The ZMDC, through Marange Resources, assumed total control of the diamond claims held by Canadile. 84 The Herald, ‘Canadile wants more land at Chiadzwa’, 24 March 2010: http://allafrica.com/stories/201003240658.html 85 Southern Africa Resource Watch, ‘Chinese soldiers hired to mine Marange diamonds’, 10 May 2010: http://www.sarwatch.org/india/124-mining-and-politics-in-zimbabwe/1348-chinese-soldiers-hired-to-minemarange-diamonds-.html 86 Diamond Intelligence Briefs, ‘Chinese firm reported to have been awarded Chiadzwa mining rights’, 16 May 2010: http://www.diamondintelligence.com/magazine/magazine.aspx?id=8694 87 New Zimbabwe, ‘Six held over $2bn Marange fraud’, 4 November 2010: http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news/news.aspx?newsID=3720

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