V. Human Rights Abuses, Corruption, and Extortion by the Police (November 2006 to October 2008) On November 21, 2006, five months after the discovery of diamonds in Marange, the government launched a nationwide police operation code-named Chikorokoza Chapera (End to Illegal Panning), which was aimed at stopping illegal mining across the country, including in Marange. During the operation, police deployed some 600 police officers, arrested about 22,500 persons nationwide who it said were illegal miners (some 9,000 of them were arrested in Marange), and seized gems and minerals with an estimate total value of US$7 million.41 The operation was marked by human rights abuses by the police, as well as corruption, extortion, and the smuggling of diamonds. Police coerced local miners to join syndicates that would provide the police with revenue from the sales of diamonds that the miners found. In seeking to end illegal mining and maintain control of the fields, police engaged in killings, torture, beatings, and harassment of local miners in Marange, particularly when police “reaction teams” carried out raids to drive local miners from the diamond fields. Corruption in Marange Over the 100-kilometer stretch of road from Mutare to Marange, police set up at least 11 permanent checkpoints to restrict access to Marange district and searched all persons travelling to and from Chiadzwa for precious stones.42 Some local people interviewed by Human Rights Watch stated that they believed these restrictions were an attempt by the police to allow access to the fields only to those willing to pay off police officers.43 They said that time allowed on the fields also depended on how much one paid the police: the bigger the bribe, the more time one was allowed. Those able to pay bigger bribes went in first.44 The security checkpoints and guard posts soon became de facto payment points where miners would bribe police to gain access to the fields and pay an exit fee on their way out.45 41 “Zimbabwe: Desperate miners dig to escape poverty,” January 17, 2007, IRIN News Africa, http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=64487 (accessed March 23, 2009). 42 Human Rights Watch interviews with local member of parliament, Sure Mudiwa, headman, F.M. and local miner, B.C., Marange, February 22, 2009. 43 Human Rights Watch interviews with five local people S.K., I.Z., D.M., E.Z., and H.G., Mutare, February 8, 2009. 44 Ibid. 45 Human Rights Watch interviews with local miners D.Z., J.M., H.N., P.M., and H.C, Marange, February 21, 2009. 19 Human Rights Watch | June 2009