In an endeavour to curb the illegal trading of gemstones in Zimbabwe, the Minerals Marketing Corporation Zimbabwe (MMCZ) has invited individuals and companies to register as subagents to legally purchase gemstones and export them legally.
Patricia Rwafa
The trading of coloured gemstones in Zimbabwe has been done mostly by foreign individuals and companies who were buying stones at predatory pricing structures and illegally siphoning the stones out of the country leaving communities with little to benefit from.
To ensure illegal trading of the stones is curbed, the MMCZ has invited Zimbabwean individuals and companies to submit expressions of interest to be considered and licensed as MMCZ subagents. Sub-agents are licensed to purchase coloured gemstones around the country and sell through the Corporation as per the MMCZ Act, Chapter 21:04.
According to MMCZ, the individuals or companies must be Zimbabwean citizens with adequate knowledge of identifying, grading and pricing the stones.
In a statement released today the MMCZ said:-
“MMCZ Gemstones Subgents are appointed in terms of the SI 256 of 2019. The function of an MMCZ Gemstones Subgents is to buy coloured gemstones from all scale miners within Special Grants as defined in the SI 256 of 2019 and sell the coloured gemstones through the Minerals Marketing Corporation Zimbabwe.
The terms reference of the MMCZ Gemstones Subgents shall be :
The MMCZ Gemstones Subgents shall keep in the prescribed form a register in which he /she shall enter, in respect of the coloured gemstones dealings such as details relating to_
- the amount thereof purchased during the month
- the amount thereof held by him/her at the end of the preceding month;
- the date of the transaction;
- name and address of the other party transaction;e)the nature and mass of the coloured gemstone involved;
- the price if any, paid or received
The MMCZ Gemstone Subgent shall, not later than the tenth day of each month, submit monthly returns to MMCZ in the prescribed format in respect of gemstones purchased in the prior month.
If the MMCZ Gemstone Subgents has coloured gemstones over what is recorded in his /her register in terms of SI 256 of 2019, he /she be deemed to be in unlawful possession of such excess unless he proves to the contrary.
An MMCZ Gemstone Subgent shall be obliged to sell whatever he/she would have acquired as per Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) Act Chapter 21:04.
Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall have their licence cancelled.
To be considered for selection, prospective citizens must meet the following criteria:-
- Must be Zimbabwean Citizen(individual or Corporate)
- Have sufficient knowledge of gemstones e.g identifying, grading and pricing
- Ability to self-fund operations (proof funds )
- 4 No criminal record – police clearance
- Adequate understanding of the Mines and Minerals Act and MMCZ Act
- Proof of residence /secure offices interested individuals and/or corporate citizens of Zimbabwe are required to submit their proposals stating their preferred area(s) /province(s) of operation for consideration to the General Manager, Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ)”
