11 key issues,” explained Global Witness (GW) in its report, “Return of the Blood Diamond” (June 2010).40 Consequently, GW noted, “Lack of consistent political will, and outdated and obstructive procedures have prevented the scheme from achieving its potential and fulfilling its mandate - to prevent diamonds from fuelling violence and human rights abuses.” “Zimbabwe is arguably the KP’s biggest test yet; one that it is currently failing,” GW said. 41 According to critics, KP’s response to the systematic and gross human rights violations rampant in the diamond fields of Zimbabwe ranges from ineffectual to complicit. The KP’s first Review Visit to Zimbabwe took place in 2004, prior to Zimbabwe’s commencement of rough diamond export or import activity, and at a time - as it was claimed - when Zimbabwean mines were not in production. Overall, the review concluded that, although difficult to determine for a non-active participant, “Zimbabwe has in place a system that is capable of fulfilling in a satisfactory manner its undertakings under the KPCS.” 42 Here is the first anomaly. According to PAC in its “Diamonds and Clubs” report of June 2010, River Ranch, a diamond mine in the Beit Bridge area of southern Zimbabwe which had been controversially grabbed by the late General Solomon Mujuru (Retd) 43, the husband of Zimbabwe’s current Vice President, Joice Mujuru, had been operational for a few years. The take-over of the mine occurred in April 2004, with the help of Adel Abdul Rahman al Aujan, a billionaire Saudi real estate developer. 44 The owners of River Ranch, Adele and Michael Farquhar of Bubye Minerals, purchased the once insolvent mine in 1998 and managed to turn it around so that it was producing an average of 30,000 carats a month. They were eventually forced off the property, having suffered numerous imprisonments, house break-ins and death threats. 45 40 Global Witness, ‘Return of the blood diamond’, 14 June 2010, pg 5: http://www.globalwitness.org/library/return-blood-diamond-deadly-race-control-zimbabwes-new-founddiamond-wealth 41 Global Witness, ‘Return of the blood diamond’, 14 June 2010, pg 5: http://www.globalwitness.org/library/return-blood-diamond-deadly-race-control-zimbabwes-new-founddiamond-wealth 42 Kimberley Process, ‘KP Certification Scheme review mission to Zimbabwe’, 30 June-4 July 2009, pg 2: http://www.kubatana.net/docs/hr/kpcs_review_final_report_091029.pdf 43 General Solomon Mujuru died in a suspicious fire at his farmhouse on 16 August 2011: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/8726823/The-mysteriousdeath-of-Solomon-Mujuru-and-fears-for-the-future-of-Zimbabwe.html 44 Partnership Africa Canada, ‘Diamonds and Clubs’, June 2010, pg 8: http://www.pacweb.org/Documents/diamonds_KP/Zimbabwe-Diamonds_and_clubs-eng-June2010.pdf 45 Partnership Africa Canada, ‘Diamonds and Clubs’, June 2010, pg 8: http://www.pacweb.org/Documents/diamonds_KP/Zimbabwe-Diamonds_and_clubs-eng-June2010.pdf