The Chairman of De Beers, Nicky Oppenheimer, was in Orapa last week to tour the Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa Mines as part of his annual visit to Debswana operations. The visit to the Orapa Mine, which is the world’s largest diamond producer by volume, follows another visit to the sister mine in Jwaneng, which is said to produce some of the highest quality diamonds in the world.
During his visit on Tuesday, Oppenheimer commended the Debswana management and employees for demonstrating a high level of professionalism and innovation, which has led to their success in the previous years, in the face of challenges posed by the mining industry.
Oppenheimer implored the mine employees to continue demonstrating ingenuity and passion as they mine diamonds for the benefit of the people of Botswana. He commended the government of Botswana for its efficient use of diamond resources and revenue, adding that diamonds are an extraordinary product that has contributed significantly to the development of Botswana, leading to the country’s success in Africa and the world as a whole.
He described Botswana as an epitome of prudent management and accountability, urging all countries in the world to look up to it for inspiration regarding equitable use of natural resources for the benefit of its citizens.
” It is incumbent on all governments to re-invest natural resource revenues into their people’s development,” said Oppenheimer.
For his part, the Assistant General Manager of Damtshaa and Letlhakane Mines, Matome Malema, said his operation is committed to making immense contributions to the lives of the people within its leasing area and beyond.
”To this end, we constantly reassess our relationship with external stakeholders to identify areas where we can best provide aid for sustainable development,” he said.
