Hon Chairperson, on behalf of the DA, I hereby move without notice:
That the Council -
1) notes that the Chairperson of the State Diamond Trader, SDT, is alleged to have imported rough diamonds at approximately US $1 million during March this year from the Marange region in Zimbabwe;
2) also notes that until now the purchase of such diamonds from areas of human rights conflicts and abuses was prohibited by the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, irrespective of what the department says;
3) further notes the Minister's alleged insistence that the minutes of the Diamond and Precious Metals Regulator be amended to exclude the fact that the illegal importation of diamonds is mentioned, raises many questions on the credibility of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme;
4) acknowledges that the most recent attack on the credibility of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and the participants was when the current chairperson, Mathieu Yamba of the Democratic Republic of Congo, stated that "Zimbambwe is trading in diamonds and will continue to do so" after a meeting of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme participants held last week, where the majority clearly had not reached consensus and walked out of the meeting and no decision could be taken, as the chairperson did not have the power to approve such sales without consent; and
5) calls on the Minister to abide by the agreements of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and be a righteous participant in upholding such agreements.
Any objection to the motion?
HON MEMBERS: Yes!
In light of the objection the motion may not be proceeded with. The motion without notice will now become a notice of motion.