Alvin Moyo wipes droplets of sweat off his brow as the sun's seething heat seems to add to his burdens. He feels his heart skipping a beat regularly as he listens intensely for any unusual sound that may signal the arrival of soldiers and dogs patrolling the diamond rich fields of Marange. He lies prostrate on the dry soil, with a dirty brown sack firmly tucked under his sweaty armpit, and prepares to dash across the field, so he can scoop mounds of gravel that might contain diamonds. Should he be spotted, he risks being gunned down by overzealous soldiers, working under orders to protect the fields. Just like the thousands of unemployed Zimbabweans seeking out precious stones in the area, he goes for it.
The Marange concession, located in the east of Zimbabwe, is home to one of the world's richest diamond deposits. Ironically, since the official discovery of diamonds in 2006, the Marange community has become poorer due to its forced isolation from the rest of the country. Civil society groups charge that this community is currently one of the world’s most militarized mining regions with hundreds of armed soldiers and police stationed at various bases and check points. Residents of Marange allege psychological trauma, physical abuse by soldiers, and lost freedom after their homelands were declared protected areas by the government.
Visitors to the Marange community are required to obtain a police clearance which is often denied. A horrendous and brutal massacre of what government labelled illegal miners ensued in 2008 when the military was deployed to clear the fields of some 30 000 people purportedly to restore order and regularize mining activities.
