ZIMBABWE'S chances of a diamond ban escalated last week amid revelations that a complaint had been lodged with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) detailing how the international rules and regulations were violated as the wrangle over the right to mine diamond spilled onto the international spotlight.

River Ranch and Bubye Minerals are fighting over the Special Grant 1278 that gives the right to mine diamond. The Mines and Minerals Act does not allow players without authority to mine in an area.

The development is likely to pile pressure for a diamond ban on Zimbabwe after last month's complaint by the World Diamond Council to the incoming Chair of the Kimberley Process Karel Kovanda.

The complaint concerned reports that rough diamonds from Zimbabwe's River Ranch mine and from Marange were possibly being smuggled illegally into South Africa for official export with the validation of a Kimberley Process Certificate.

Standardbusiness heard last week that the complaint detailed how certain provisions of the KPCS were violated.

Sources said last Friday that the complaint states there was no certificate accompanying each shipment of rough diamonds on export in violation of Section II (a) of the Kimberley Process Certificate.

The complaint said that River Ranch Limited is unable to procure lawfully the necessary Certificates and as such the the stones were entering the marketplace in contravention of the Scheme and its principles.

Standardbusiness also understands that Section III (a) of the certificate had been violated in that there was no duly validated certificate accompanying such shipment.

Standardbusiness broke the story last month that stones from River Ranch Mine were taken into South Africa without the authority of the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe.

The complaint also states that as stones from River Ranch Mine are leaving Zimbabwe territory and passing into at least one other Participants' territory without the required Certificate, the shipment is in breach of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.

Standardbusiness heard last week there was no internal control to eliminate the presence of conflict diamonds from shipments of rough diamonds imported into and from its territory.

It said that MMCZ which checks and verifies that the intended exporter has the correct documentation in relation to the claim(s) had adhered to the principles and provisions of the Kimberley Process by refusing to issue the necessary Certificates of Origin to River Ranch Limited.

The complaint said that as a result of the refusal by MMCZ there is no independent evaluation of the product mined at River Ranch Mine, as to either quantity or actual origin.

"The complaint said that there was no process to evaluate and then seal any parcels to prevent tampering. As such, the complaint said, there is no independent monitoring or control over any of the diamonds produced by River Ranch Limited," sources said Friday.

The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme is a voluntary initiative, based on the principles of self-governance and willing compliance with the provisions agreed to by Participants. KPCS has 71 members.

The tussle for the right to mine diamonds at River Ranch comes at a time there are claims of negotiations between Bubye and River Ranch "to settle the matter once and for all". However, Bubye denies the existence of such talks.

Bubye director Adele Farquhar referred all enquiries to the company lawyers Terennce Hussein of Hussein and Ranchod.