This content was first published on IGR – Italian Gemological Review no. 6 in 2019. The information provided here is therefore current as of the original publication date.
In April 2018, John Magufuli, the President of Tanzania, inaugurated a 24.5 km perimeter wall surrounding the tanzanite mines in Mirerani, Manyara in an attempt to fight smuggling of the gemstone. The wall, erected in the record time of three months by about 2,000 volunteers, can be considered a symbol of the government’s new strategy to gain control over the poorly governed mineral wealth of this African country. Is this strong commitment resulting in a significant increase of the revenues generated by tanzanite sales? The figures show a remarkable increase since revenues rose to US$ 460,987 in last September, from a low of US$ 74,439 registered in January 2015. According to Minister for Minerals the contribution of the entire mineral sector to the economy has increased by 4.8 per cent and she forecast that it will rise by 10 per cent by 2025.
In addition to good news some complications must be accounted for. The wall is not working as it should as a governmental Commission recently found. Persisting smuggling reduced the monthly royalty collections from US$ 194,000 to US$ 17,500. The issue of special ID cards has been urged since it looks too easy to pass through security and enter the limited area purposely limited by the wall. Inspection is done manually for lack of adequate and updated equipment.
Again President John Magufuli intervened asking his newly appointed Minerals minister to immediately install surveillance cameras round the tanzanite mines. If the precious rough still escapes the checkpoints of the newly erected wall, still tightened security at border points and airports, through which the rare gemstone was being smuggled out mainly to Kenya, can give a hand. At the end of December a Chinese national was arrested at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) as he was found with a huge quantity of tanzanite and other raw gemstones concealed inside two electrical adapters in a suitcase.
It seems that the steps carried on by the Tanzanian leadership are serious. In may 2018 the historical mining company TanzaniteOne agreed to pay compensation and overdue taxes to the government after being accused of irregularities. Tanzania, while showing its vigorous attempt to take control over its mineral wealth, is also launching a more positive message, the Mirerani Tanzanite International Marathon, an event held in January 27, 2019. According to organizers the purpose of the competition is to let everybody in the world know that, since Tanzanite is a resource only available in Tanzania, it must be referred to this country not only for mining but for marketing as well.
Gem News published on IGR – Italian Gemological Review #6 – Spring 2019
