25 Jul 2021

 The Vice President, Mr Slumber Tsogwane, has welcomed the Precious and Semi-Precious (Protection) (Amendment) Bill because it bolsters government’s citizen economic empowerment agenda. 

Contributing to the debate on the bill in Parliament on Thursday, Mr Tsogwane underlined government’s commitment towards formulating legislation that would fast-track the citizen economic empowerment drive. 

Mr Tsogwane said the proposed amendments on the regulation of precious and semi-precious stones, particularly diamonds, were a welcome development aimed at ensuring optimal citizen participation in the diamond value chain. 

He said the relocation of cutting and polishing companies from all over the world to Botswana had already created a window of opportunities for citizens to be role players in the diamond industry through skills transfer and employment creation.

 The Vice President, who is also Boteti West MP, said Botswana was proud to have over the years managed to leverage its substantial diamond production to bring broader development to its people and avoid problems other countries encountered with mineral resources. 

He observed that Botswana took pride in her founding fathers, who through their wise stewardship managed to lay a solid foundation to avoid the ‘resource curse’ whereby mineral wealth was squandered and used for self-enrichment by the elites.

Francistown South MP, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi also supported the proposed amendments, saying they were overdue as Batswana had long been spectators in the mining industry. 

Mr Mmolotsi said the amendments should close the gap that had been hindering active citizen participation in the mining sector as well as act as a transformation tool towards economic growth. 

Although he supported the proposed amendments, Sefhare/Ramokgonami MP, Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang decried the fact that diamond beneficiation had not trickled down to the masses, particularly in rural areas, leading to unequal development. 

He said it was disturbing that majority of Batswana specifically in diamond mining areas lived in abject poverty, adding that government should also dispense with the secrecy around mining agreements between government and mining corporations.

Takatokwane MP, Mr Tshoganetso Leuwe urged government to legislate for corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the mining sector so that it became mandatory instead of voluntary. 

He said a growing number of countries had over the years adopted laws that explicitly required corporations to undertake CSR. While appreciating construction of Maboane Clinic by Jwaneng mine as part of its CRS initiative, Mr Leuwe said Magagarape community continued to endure water shortage despite the mine pumping water from Magagarape wells to Jwaneng mine.Debating the bill, Ngami MP, Mr Caterpillar Hikuama urged government to consider introducing diamond cutting and polishing courses in the vocational training curriculum to equip the citizens with the necessary skills to prosper in the mining value chain. 

He said beneficiation of diamond value chain would not bear fruit if Batswana remained unskilled in that sector. 

He added unless there was substantial investment in citizen skilling and retooling in the diamond cutting and polishing industry then diamond beneficiation was unlikely to continue beyond the life of existing mines

Selebi Phikwe East MP, Mr Kgoberego Nkawana said there should be a clear sectoral plan devoting real resources to increasing local participation up and down the diamond value chain, along with appropriate policies to strengthen domestic capacities. 

He urged government to also explore possibilities around processing industrial diamonds locally instead of investing solely in cutting and polishing jewelry diamonds. ends