The construction of the institution which is located in Harare’s Mt. Hampden area was necessitated by the need to add value to the country’s mineral exports.
College director, Mr. Joseph Banda, expressed optimism that the institution will make significant impact in the local diamond industry and confirmed that over 150 prospective students have applied for diamond cutting and polishing courses.
“As a country we have been losing a lot of revenue by export unprocessed minerals particularly diamonds and we are confident that skills to be learnt here will go a long way in transforming the local diamond industry,” he said.
Responding to concerns that Marange villagers are not likely to benefit from such facilities given the distance from the source of the diamonds and the location of the college, Mr. Banda assured the villagers that there are plans to engage responsible authorities to get another license for a similar project in the Marange area.
Some of the registered students who were going through the introductory lessons hailed the establishment of the institution, which they said is critical in aligning the country’s diamond industry with international trends.
Zimbabwe’s diamond industry, which is still in its infancy, has the potential to transform the country’s economy if resources are channeled towards value-addition of the gems.
