Episode Overview

Podcast: New Books Network
Host: Dr. Miranda Melcher
Guest: Dr. Nathan Munier
Book Discussed: Zimbabwe's Diamond Trade: The State, Resource Politics and Development (Cambridge UP, 2025)
Date: January 31, 2026

This episode explores the social, political, and economic complexities surrounding Zimbabwe’s diamond sector, as analyzed in Dr. Nathan Munier’s new book. The discussion situates Zimbabwe’s diamond industry within the broader literature on resource politics and the “resource curse,” contrasting it with oil and other extractive economies. The conversation tracks the impact of diamond discoveries on Zimbabwe’s state capacity, political power dynamics, and international relations, while also drawing lessons for resource-rich countries globally.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background and Motivation for the Book (03:07–05:03)

• Dr. Munier has an academic background in the politics of natural resources and previously researched the Kimberley Process, the international diamond certification scheme.
• Interest in Diversifying Resource Politics Literature: Much of resource curse literature focuses on oil; Munier aims to examine how non-oil resources (especially diamonds) impact state dynamics differently.
• Zimbabwe’s 2006 alluvial diamond discovery serves as a critical case study to test these theories.

Notable Quote:

"I've long been interested in this idea of how natural resources influence states and how different political dynamics are changed by flows of resource wealth..."
— Dr. Nathan Munier (03:18)

2. Pre-2006 Zimbabwe: State Capacity and Opaqueness (05:03–09:13)

• "Low Capacity Democracy" & "Opaque State": Zimbabwe in the 1980s-1990s outperformed many regional peers but suffered institutional erosion post-2000, with inflation, informalization, and blurred state roles.
• The state is not absent but operates through complex, shifting, and sometimes contradictory roles within both formal and informal economies, especially in the resource sector.
• Importance of intra-party rivalries (within the ruling ZANU-PF) over opposition conflict in shaping resource allocation and state control.

Notable Quote:

"It's not really so much an absence of the government that is really notable. A lot of it is just that the role of the government is kind of very difficult to define, even for a lot of people within the government itself during different periods."
— Dr. Nathan Munier (07:22)

3. 2006 Diamond Boom: Political and Economic Implications (09:13–12:55)

• Alluvial diamond discovery in eastern Zimbabwe in 2006 described as perhaps the world's largest in a century.
• These diamonds are easily mined and smuggled—contrasting with more capital-intensive extraction in countries like Botswana.
• This ease of extraction and transport makes diamond smuggling a profound challenge to state regulation and taxation.

Notable Exchange:

"With diamonds, you can carry maybe even millions of dollars worth in a person's pocket or in a very little space."
— Dr. Nathan Munier (10:46)
"Yeah, that's definitely a very big difference with oil, which cannot be smuggled in a pocket quite so easily."
— Dr. Miranda Melcher (11:56)

4. Ownership Structures: Instability and Its Consequences (12:55–14:53)

• Zimbabwe’s diamond sector has had at least five (possibly six) major shifts in ownership structure since 2006: starkly different from the stable government–De Beers partnerships in countries like Botswana or Namibia.
• These changes reflect factional infighting within ZANU-PF and led to chronic lack of continuity, undermining efforts at effective management or broad-based benefit.

Notable Quote:

"Lack of continuity in ownership structure is probably one of the reasons why...a lot of diamonds have been traded outside of government control or around taxation."
— Dr. Nathan Munier (13:52)

5. International Markets & the Kimberley Process (14:53–18:59)

• Shift in Export Markets: The UAE emerges as a central exchange hub, alongside India; reflects shifting global trading patterns.
• Kimberley Process Critique:
  • The 2008 military takeover of diamond fields led to serious human rights abuses. The Kimberley Process proved largely ineffective at addressing them.
  • Non–diamond-producing countries (e.g., UAE) have taken leading roles in the Process, politicizing regulations and creating selective rule enforcement.
• Broader geopolitics: Russia’s war in Ukraine and China’s role in the diamond market significantly affect southern African producers.

Notable Quotes:

"The Kimberley Process was not really able to deal with this very effectively in time."
— Dr. Nathan Munier (15:52)
"Defenders of the Kimberley Process will say...it's not really a human rights agreement, that it's just put there to stop diamonds coming from areas where there's an active conflict."
— Dr. Nathan Munier (16:51)

6. Domestic Political Ramifications (18:59–21:34)

• During the 2009–2013 Government of National Unity, ZANU-PF retained control of the presidency, military, and police while MDC held the finance ministry but had no real influence over diamond revenues.
• ZANU-PF used diamond wealth to out-maneuver MDC, ultimately leading to a dominant electoral victory in 2013.
• The arrangement hindered meaningful reform or equitable distribution of resource benefits.

Key Moment:

"ZANU PF was able to regroup and kind of easily win an election in 2013...A lot of people didn't like the Government of National Unity. A lot of times they felt as though it was unable to really address much of anything."
— Dr. Nathan Munier (20:28)

7. Regional Dynamics and the Importance of Regional Actors (21:34–25:19)

• Zimbabwe’s political and economic trajectory is closely entwined with regional powers (South Africa, Namibia).
• Regional actors often defend Zimbabwe’s autonomy but are sensitive to reputational risks (e.g., diamond smuggling affects the region’s investment climate).
• Cooperative efforts to rehabilitate Zimbabwe’s diamond sector are tied to shared economic interests.
• Recent events (e.g., less international/media attention to election irregularities in Zimbabwe) reflect shifting regional priorities amidst domestic upheaval in neighboring countries.

Notable Quote:

"Since Zimbabwe is a landlocked country, you know, access to ports is really important. And thus it's…political alliance with neighboring states has mattered quite a bit over time."
— Dr. Nathan Munier (24:46)

8. Comparative Cases: Venezuela and Gold (25:19–30:30)

• Striking parallels drawn with Venezuela: both experienced hyperinflation, sanctions, and collapse of formal markets.
• In both cases, informal extractive sectors (diamonds for Zimbabwe, gold for Venezuela) served as lifelines for beleaguered regimes.
• The legal/illegal status of informal mining is often blurred, with law enforcement complicit or indifferent.

Notable Quote:

"In both cases, they kind of had an out or something that kept them alive while other sectors of the economy were not producing very much ... I argue that the informal gold sector in Venezuela may have played a similar role."
— Dr. Nathan Munier (26:45)

9. Lessons, Regional Developments, and Broader Implications (30:30–33:02)

• Recent transformations: Botswana and South Africa’s recent moves away from single-party dominance reflect changing political structures in mining-dependent economies.
• Botswana and Namibia’s relatively stable diamond partnerships (despite flaws) contrast with Zimbabwe’s chronic instability.
• Lack of a “coherent long-term strategy” in resource management is linked to broader challenges in governance and development.

Notable Quote:

"One of the reasons why I think Botswana and Namibia have had kind of relative success…is that while…the ownership structure that they have in the diamond sector might leave a lot to be desired, it has allowed a level of stability and infrastructure…a level of competitive democracy."
— Dr. Nathan Munier (31:53)

10. Future Work and Closing Reflections (33:02–34:49)

• Dr. Munier is now turning attention to "single party dominant" democracies, including cases like Japan (LDP) and Sweden (Social Democrats), and their contrasts with African cases like ANC and SWAPO.
• Southern Africa’s shift away from single-party rule is especially topical.

Notable Quote:

"I've kind of gotten an interest in kind of single party dominant regimes that are able to win kind of free and fair elections over and over again. Although as I was kind of saying...with Botswana and South Africa, some of that single party dominance has changed a bit."
— Dr. Nathan Munier (33:49)

Memorable Quotes

• On the challenge of regulating diamonds:
  "With diamonds, you can carry maybe even millions of dollars worth in a person's pocket or in a very little space." (10:46, Dr. Nathan Munier)

• On the Kimberley Process’ limits:
  "The Kimberley Process was not really able to deal with this very effectively in time." (15:52, Dr. Nathan Munier)

• On regime survival via resource sectors:
  "In both cases, they kind of had an out or something that kept them alive while other sectors of the economy were not producing very much..." (26:45, Dr. Nathan Munier)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:18 — Munier introduces his research agenda and motivation
• 05:33 — Defining "low capacity democracy" and "opaque state" in Zimbabwe
• 09:25 — The significance of 2006 diamond discoveries
• 12:55 — Ownership structure changes post-2006
• 14:53 — Export markets and the role of the Kimberley Process
• 18:59 — Diamonds and domestic politics: ZANU-PF power dynamics
• 21:52 — Regional impacts: Southern African neighbours and the diamond industry
• 25:49 — Comparative analysis: Venezuela and Zimbabwe’s informal mining sectors
• 30:30 — Botswana, Namibia, and the benefits of stable resource management
• 33:05 — Future research: single-party dominant regimes

Tone and Language

• Scholarly and Analytical: Both the host and guest maintain a thoughtful, measured, and reflective tone.
• Accessible Explanation: Despite tackling complex material, the language is clear and avoids excessive jargon.
• Cautiously Critical: Both acknowledge complexities, limit claims where evidence is partial, and show appreciation for competing perspectives in the field.

Conclusion

This episode provides a rich, nuanced look at the interplay of resource politics, state power, and international regulation, all centered on Zimbabwe’s tumultuous diamond sector. Listeners gain not only an in-depth understanding of Zimbabwe’s unique situation but also broader lessons about how resources can reshape states and sustain regimes—in Africa and, by analogy, elsewhere in the world.