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Harare - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe on Sunday said the country's diamonds should benefit the entire country and urged greedy politicians to blunt their appetite for individual wealth.
"Diamonds should not be pocketed by some individuals," Mugabe told thousands at the funeral of his sister Sabina at a shrine for heroes of the country's independence war.
"They should help to improve the whole country. Those with an appetite for individual aggrandisement, please blunt your appetite.
We will ensure there is collective benefit and not individual benefit.
"Leaders must be people-oriented. It's the demands of the people that must be looked at and not those of our pockets."
The diamond watchdog Kimberley Process last month approved the export of rough diamonds from Marange diamond fields in eastern Zimbabwe suspended over rights abuses at the country's biggest diamond fields.
Mugabe said two weeks ago that his country was projected to contribute around 25% of the global diamond output. He added Sunday that "there are huge prospects for the diamond sub-sector to emerge as a major driver of the country's economic turnaround".
Mining is Zimbabwe's main foreign currency earner. Finance Minister Tendai Biti on July 7 urged KP members to clear Zimbabwe to sell its diamonds, saying the government desperately needed the income.
- Sapa-AFP
"Diamonds should not be pocketed by some individuals," Mugabe told thousands at the funeral of his sister Sabina at a shrine for heroes of the country's independence war.
"They should help to improve the whole country. Those with an appetite for individual aggrandisement, please blunt your appetite.
We will ensure there is collective benefit and not individual benefit.
"Leaders must be people-oriented. It's the demands of the people that must be looked at and not those of our pockets."
The diamond watchdog Kimberley Process last month approved the export of rough diamonds from Marange diamond fields in eastern Zimbabwe suspended over rights abuses at the country's biggest diamond fields.
Mugabe said two weeks ago that his country was projected to contribute around 25% of the global diamond output. He added Sunday that "there are huge prospects for the diamond sub-sector to emerge as a major driver of the country's economic turnaround".
Mining is Zimbabwe's main foreign currency earner. Finance Minister Tendai Biti on July 7 urged KP members to clear Zimbabwe to sell its diamonds, saying the government desperately needed the income.
- Sapa-AFP
