Political tension over Zimbabwe's controversial Marange diamond field surged Wednesday as officers of the law and order section of the Zimbabwe Republic Police tried to serve a summons on parliamentary mines committee member Moses Mare, MDC legislator for Chiredzi South, in connection with a Marange probe.
Sources in Parliament said it was unclear why the police wanted to call Mare before a magistrate, but said that the officers demanded his home address, insisting that they wanted to hand him the court summons in person.
Mare has been outspoken about the secrecy enveloping the Marange diamond mining operations and the not-so-subtle resistance of Mines Minister Obert Mpofu to any questions about or investigation the state's partnership with two private firms developing the field.
Mpofu has refused to grant the committee clearance to carry out a fact-finding mission in Marange.
Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena could not be reached as his phone went unanswered.
But Mare told VOA Studio 7 reporter Sandra Nyaira that he thinks the police action was intended to deter him from pursuing the committee investigation into what is going on in the Marange field and the disposition of the diamonds extracted from the alluvial deposits.
