Diamonds – The chickens have come home to roost

“I said, I will take heed of my ways, that I sin not with my tongue. I will keep my mouth with a bridle,……. I was dumb with silence, I held my piece, even from good: And my sorrow was stirred. My heart was hot within me. While I was musing the fire burned: Then I spoke with my tongue’ (Proverbs 39-1-13). I write this article as a matter of compulsion, and indeed very reluctantly.I was left with no choice but to speak with my tongue, albeit only this once, then bridle my mouth. The reason being that I have spoken on the subject a lot in the past.

Many people across the country, from various persuasions, have been calling me asking for my input in the current happenings in the diamond industry. That, because I previously was vocal on the subject of value addition of our diamonds, as well as calling for a paradigm shift in our thought processes, in terms of the full utilisation of this finite resource. Some have been scolding me for staying silent, as they said, “when the country is burning!” Hey! “Which country is burning? If it is, am I a fire fighter?  I am just an ordinary man eking a living from the soil. An ordinary voter who once in five years gives mandate to certain people to run the affairs of the country for me. If they burn or course my country to burn, then I will intervene.” This was my reply to them. Further to that I told them, “All you want me to say, I said it publicly since 19 years ago, and as well during that period I educated and opened the eyes of many – their own testimonies. Why should I continue saying the same thing all over again like a broken CD, when there are so many other important assignments before me to complete in this world?”