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Updated August 5th, 2020 at 14:06 IST

Tanzanian miner, who became an overnight millionaire, finds third rare gemstone

In June, the Tanzanian miner reportedly dug two dark violet-blue gemstones about the size of the human arm in tanzanite mines in the north of country.

Reported by: Zaini Majeed
Tanzanian
| Image:self
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A local Tanzanian miner, who became an overnight millionaire in June for unearthing two tanzanite gemstones has upscaled his fortune after finding the third large gemstone on August 3. Saniniu Laizer dug a 6.3kg (14lb) gemstone and collected $2million cheque this time, a news agency reported. He had been awarded 7.74 billion Tanzanian shillings, approximately $3.4 million cheques earlier for the two rare big sized purple gemstones that he had found in the northern region of East Africa.  

In June, the Tanzanian miner reportedly dug two dark violet-blue gemstones about the size of the human arm in tanzanite mines in the north known for cross-border gemstone smuggling. He had wanted to open a healthcare facility, a shopping mall, and a school for his community in Simanjiro district in the northern Manyara region. A father to 30 children at the time, Laizer celebrated his jackpot with his family after he sold the gemstones and won a cheque from Minerals Minister Doto Biteko at a live television presentation ceremony.  

Laizer said that he was signing agreements in public to facilitate the cash transfer with the government and authorities now recognize him as a new billionaire in the small country, local African reports quoted Lazer as saying. Further, the miner said that he would allocate the funds to development activities.  

[Miner Saniniu Laizer speaks to the media after handing over two of the biggest rough tanzanite gemstones ever found to government officials, at a ceremony in Mererani, Tanzania]

The money that I have received today, I will allocate it to more development activities, a news agency quoted Lazer.

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Tanzania President John Magufuli congratulated

At the trading event, Lazer was congratulated by Tanzania President John Magufuli. Mines Ministry spokesman, Simon Msanjila, reportedly said that the government organized the event to recognize the two largest tanzanite gemstones in history since the beginning of mining activities in Mireran. Lazer was featured on a live show on state television receiving the cheque from Bank of Tanzania who bought the gemstones, according to a report. Last year, the Tanzanian government had set up trading centers and urged the artisanal miners to trade their gemstones and gold with the government for preservation. Mining activities in Tanzania accounted for 17 percent of the country’s GDP in 2019. 

[Miner Saniniu Laizer, center-left, receives a cheque from government officials at a ceremony in Mererani, Tanzania]

[One of two of the biggest rough tanzanite gemstones ever found, Lazer's third gemstone, is weighed in Mererani, Tanzania]

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(Images Credit: AP)

(With Agency Inputs)

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Published August 5th, 2020 at 14:06 IST

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