The Sunday Mail
Advocate Sadique Kebonang
Before June 2018, diamonds from Zimbabwe will be processed in Botswana.
Botswana’s Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security Ministry is in talks with Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando and there is agreement.
Zimbabwe is part of the Kimberly Process as a member state. In terms of relationships, it hasn’t had the best of relationships with certain countries.
However, good relationships are now beginning to flourish. Sanctions affected a lot of other things in Zimbabwe.
Sometimes, the reasons for lower diamond prices have been political; and at other times, it has been a question of expertise.
When you are shut out from the world, you sometimes miss out on the best expertise.
Zimbabwe is missing out on expertise. As neighbours, it’s now in Botswana’s and Zimbabwe’s interest to assist each other. Actually, the last trial valuation saw Botswana improve Zimbabwe’s diamonds that had been valued at US$26 to US$76.
This was sometime last year, though at a small scale. The scale will be bigger this time and that goes to show what happens when people collaborate.
Botswana is prepared to process the entire stockpile in Zimbabwe (two million carats).
It is no secret that Botswana has one of the best grading and evaluating systems in the world.
The Diamond Trading Centre has capacity to process 33 million carats per annum, but is processing an average 22 million every year.
The diamond industry is sophisticated; you must learn first.
It’s not an event, but a process.
Zimbabwe will not be the first country that Botswana will be processing diamonds for as South Africa, Namibia and Canada have also taken this route.
The process entails aggregating and valuing their diamonds, and these countries have confidence in Botswana’s services.
It involves high-level equipment, and an experienced team of experts handle the diamonds.
They know all processes and technical details such as diamond colour, carat, cut and clarity.
These experts make sure that diamonds are not undervalued and that’s how we get the best price.
The Attorneys-General of Zimbabwe and Botswana now have to look at the agreements. Once we have complied with all aspects of international security, we are good for business.
Advocate Sadique Kebonang is Botswana’s Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security Minister. He was speaking to The Sunday Mail’s Chief Reporter Kuda Bwititi at the Diamond Trading Centre in Botswana on the sidelines of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s State visit to that country last week.
