In this article from 11 March, we see the exploitation of Africa by China in the form of diamonds discovered in Bitka, near the Manicaland Province. Diamonds discovered last year are currently the subject of government sealing in hopes to avoid a brutal free-for-all as happened in Chiadzwe.
China and some Zimbabwe interests filed for permission to mine this area but not before they started digging, putting the cart before the horse and were already digging. The Zimbawae government has stepped in to assess the situation and I hope, for the sake of this country, that they do not allow Chinese abuse of their natural resources. Four Chinese men were facing deportation for killing tortoises, a protected species. In this area of poor Africa, the Chinese do not need to be, in my honest opinion. China and all other foreign countries must cease their abuse of Africa!
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| Kimberlite Pit Mine |
Kimberlite, named for the town of Kimberly, South Africa, is the process by which diamonds and other material rise to the surface of the earth on the back of magma from deep in the earth's crust. Kimberlite pipes are actually a natural occurrence, not man-made pipes that come to mind when first reading. This only happens in portions of the globe where very ancient rock, called cratons, exist. The magma forms nearly 100 miles below the surface of the earth, much deeper than traditional volcano magma originates. The African continent is very ancient, not moving appreciably since the Pangea landmass was on this earth. There are three major and several more minor cratons on the African continent which explains the diamond richness of their natural resources.
