21 Jun 2022

Government has expressed its determination to protect the local diamond industry from the blemish of conflict diamonds.

  Speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing Kimberly Process intersessional meeting in Kasane, Minister of Minerals and Energy, Mr Lefoko Moagi said government had supported the diamond trade mechanism mandate since its launch in 2003 in order to protect Botswana’s diamond industry.

“It is worth noting that Botswana is often hailed as a model of democracy, stability and prudent economic policy in sub-Saharan Africa and that notion is further cemented by the manner in which we use our resources for economic benefit and uplifting our citizenry’s livelihoods,” he said.

 He said unlike in some cases where diamond mining had funded civil wars, in Botswana mineral wealth financed economic growth.

“Our diamonds have, from the onset, been ethically mined and have always been for development and economic growth,” he said.  

Minister Moagi said to further guard against illicit mining, government had adopted a global certification system which identified the origin of all rough diamonds. 

As the world’s largest producer of gem-quality diamonds in terms of value and the second largest volume producer globally, the minister said, it was only fitting that Botswana became a signatory to the Kimberly agreement.

The Kimberly Certification System, he said, was based on national control systems, which in Botswana’s case, was guided by the Precious and Semi-Precious Stones (Protection) Act.

Mr Moagi said the local diamond industry was auditable and the gems protected at source thereby closing all gaps for illegal diamond mining. 

Kimberly Process is a coalition of governments, civil society and the diamond industry aimed at eliminating trade in conflict diamonds.

Maintaining its focus in the face of today’s global challenges, the mechanism enables governments and organisations to share  expertise and insights in order to have a positive, long-term impact on the conflict diamonds trade and the lives of people in genuine need.

Through its certification system and peer review mechanism, the UN-mandated Kimberly Process continues to play an important role in ensuring that conflict diamonds do not enter legitimate trade. Ends