The squabble over United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) cars
gives a new twist to the protracted Beitbridge diamonds mine saga which has
been rumbling in the courts for a while.

Top Zanu PF politburo member, retired army commander General Solomon
Mujuru and former ruling party MP Tirivanhu Mudariki, are River Ranch
directors, while Zimbabwe's ambassador to South Africa, Simon Khaya Moyo's
wife, Sibonokuhle, is a Bubye Minerals director.

Bubye Minerals lawyer Terrence Hussein on Tuesday wrote to UNDP
resident representative Agostinho Zacarias querying why a UN agency was
allowing its vehicles to be used by a private company under murky
circumstances.

The letter, titled Use of UN Vehicles at River Ranch Diamond Mine,
Beitbridge, said there were two UN vehicles being used at the mine and asked
why UNDP was allowing the vehicles to be deployed there when it was aware
the mine was a contested property.

Hussein said the two vehicles were a Toyota Land Cruiser VX -
registration number 200 TCE 666 - and a Toyota Hilux whose number plate is
AAQ 9041. The Toyota Hilux is said to have been stolen from a River Ranch
employee in Johannesburg last year.

"A Central Vehicle Registry certificate shows vehicle AAQ 9041 is a
Toyota Hilux, and the registered owner of the said vehicle is the UNDP.
Curiously, the record shows that whilst you are the owner of the vehicle the
address for the said vehicle is River Ranch Mine, Beitbridge," Hussein said
in his letter to Zacarias.

"The matter does not end there. A dark blue/black Toyota Land Cruiser
VX bearing the registration plate 200 TCE 666 is presently being used by
River Ranch Ltd employees in Harare. The said vehicle is also registered in
the name of the United Nations Development Programme."

Hussein said he wanted to know why a "reputable" UN agency had allowed
its vehicles to be used in a controversial business.

"Of greater concern is how your organisation's vehicles are being used
by River Ranch Ltd who presently occupy a diamond mine in Beitbridge on
questionable title," he said.

Hussein said this was compounded by the fact that River Ranch was
allegedly involved in the smuggling of diamonds using the UN vehicles which
could not be subject to search and seizure under UN conventions.

"As you are no doubt aware, serious questions may be raised about your
organisation's involvement with River Ranch Ltd in view of the fact that
vehicles registered to the UN or any of its agencies are by United Nations
conventions and our laws not subject to search and seizure at our border
points," Hussein said.

However, River Ranch Ltd CEO George Kantsouris yesterday said
allegations of smuggling using UN vehicles were "nonsense". He said there
was nothing wrong with the mine using the Toyota Land Cruiser 200 TCE 666
because it was being driven by a diplomat accredited under the African
Management Services Company (Amsco).

Amsco is a special purpose project of the UNDP and International
Finance Corporation (IFC), a private sector arm of the World Bank,
established to address the issue of management and capacity building in
private sector companies in Africa.

"We have only one vehicle (Toyota Land Cruiser 200 TCE 666) which is
registered under the UNDP. It is being used by our chief finance officer Mr
Pradippa Susari who is accredited under UNDP-Amsco," Kantsouris said. "I'm
also accredited under UNDP-Amsco. We are fully accredited and entitled to
use TCE number plates."

Kantsouris said Hussein was trying to "construct a smokescreen" around
the court battle over the mine, which he had lost. He said Hussein's chance
to appeal to the Supreme Court after losing in the High Court last year had
lapsed and he was clutching at straws.