12 May 2017

Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, Advocate Sadique Kebonang visited Blue Star Diamonds to get first hand information as to whether its business was still relevant.

Speaking during a visit to the diamond polishing company recently, Advocate Kebonang said other factors that prompted his visit was to see the kind of training employees were receiving and the number of people employed.  

For his part, the factory manager, Mr Bart Heylen said since the company started operating in Botswana in 2012, it has recruited 172 employees in five years having started with only 30 employees.

He noted that training took only six weeks and that assessment was also done during the training period.

The director of Blue Star Diamonds, Mr Ashit Mehta said the company made better diamonds from the rough diamonds they bought from De Beers.

“We want to train local people to become entrepreneurs in this sector,” he added.

Mr Mehta explained that his father started the business in 1966, and that he learned from him hence he wanted Batswana to also learn from him and share the knowledge with other Batswana.

He added that they also want to start an exchange programme between employees working in Botswana and India.

He stated that the exchange programme would help employees to share knowledge.

Mr Mehta added that he was grateful to be given the opportunity to operate in the country, and that he wanted his company to be a distribution centre for polished diamonds in the future.

Meanwhile, one of the employees, Mr Caiphus Masite, who is a diamond polisher, said he joined the company with experience, but that he had learned a lot from Blue Star Diamonds.

He added that he was happy with the work conditions and treatment that he got from his employers.

Blue Star Diamonds started operating in 2012 specialising in cutting and polishing diamonds, and it has 172 employees. ENDS