Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to the article that appeared in your paper published on August 26, 2007. A number of statements made by the writer are fundamentally incorrect as detailed below;
Orapa mine, which was discovered by De Beers geologists, is the first diamond mine in Botswana,
Prior to that, discoveries of alluvial diamonds were reported in the Motloutse River in the North East of Botswana,
Anglo American Corporation (referred to by the writer as Anglo American Company) has never owned mines in Botswana except indirectly through that company’s interests in De Beers and, therefore, through Debswana,
For its part, the Orapa mine monitors the consumption of underground water from the wellfields and any environmental impact thereof through an independent consultant. The results of this monitoring are submitted to the regulator and the company at set intervals. If necessary, the company institutes appropriate interventions,
As previously discussed, I reiterate my willingness to facilitate a visit by you and your peers to our operations including those in Botswana to assist you to better understand the industry. I am not qualified to comment on the Lake Ngami ecosystem but believe that it is too complex for your reporter to only base his article on the suspicions of the residents of Sehithwa village.
On a general note, Debswana and De Beers, who were your original business partners (through Peo), are proud of the achievement of your paper and wish you greater things ahead. I personally value the interest your paper shows in the industry and trust you will continue to be an independent source of information. I do wish however, that your reporters exercised a lot more diligence and that they would be more thorough in checking the information that they present to your readers.
Sheila Khama
Chief Executive
