Author

Mbongeni Mguni
Financial Journalist

Twitter: @MboBW

Email: [email protected]
  • Biodiversity, water conservation, equity: Debswana and sustainability

    Debswana’s tagline “Mining Diamonds, Enriching the Nation,” belies the fact that the company takes great care to ensure that this effort is carried out in the most ethical and sustainable way possible, through the efforts of a diversified and...

  • Botswana headlines Vegas as industry eyes rebound

    “You can’t grow love in a lab,” was President Duma Boko’s rallying call in Las Vegas and New York last week, as he marshalled the natural diamond world to partner for a recovery.Natural diamonds have been in a slump since late 2023 due to a...

  • ODC, GIA sign up as Tracr expands

    The global natural diamond industry met in Las Vegas and New York last week, with players agreeing that provenance as well as highlighting the ethical, sustainable, and developmental role of natural diamonds, is key to their recovery from a nearly...

  • Foreign reserves’ drop threatens pula value

    The prolonged decline in diamond receipts, coupled with steady imports and the lack of other strong foreign currency earners, has meant a slide in the reserves over the months.In January, the Bank of Botswana (BoB) increased the trading margin used...

  • Boko leads global rally for natural diamonds in Vegas

    Boko, Minerals and Energy minister Bogolo Kenewendo, and leaders of other key organisations such as Debswana, the Okavango Diamond Company, and the Minerals Development Company of Botswana, are in the west American city for the biggest trade show of...

  • Growth now expected near zero, deficit set to widen

    The latest forecast comes as Finance ministry technocrats prepare the country’s inaugural mid-term budget, which will provide a half-year revision of the estimates provided in the February budget.In a week in which the country was shaken by more...

  • Inside the fightback by natural diamonds

    In the diamond world, traditionally, each player in the pipeline focuses on their core strengths. Producers such as Botswana focus on how they can extract diamonds most efficiently, while also taking care to bring these natural rarities from deep in...

  • Diamond downturn: Boko leads US charge to rally recovery

    President Duma Boko has a busy June, rallying global partners for the recovery of natural diamonds at a time when the dreaded trade tariffs by the United States administration are weeks away from kicking in. Boko, accompanied by his top lieutenants,...

  • Debswana, BPC join hands for renewable energy

    Debswana intends to reach carbon neutrality at its operations by 2030 and the adoption of renewable energy forms a major component of this effort. The diamond group presently consumes 410MW of electricity and is engaged in various efforts to convert...

  • Creditor wants Minergy under judicial management

    Whilst details on the identity of the creditor were not available at press time, industry insiders indicate the difficulties may have to do with the current or former mining contractor. The funds paid to the mining contractor constitute the highest...

  • Mt Burgess founder passes

    In a notice this week, Mt Burgess officials said Forrester passed away last Friday about a week after resigning as chairman and CEO. Forrester and his wife, Jan, previously told Mmegi how they had sunk their own savings, including selling their...

  • Pula Fund slips to lows

    The prolonged decline in diamond receipts, coupled with steady imports and the lack of other strong foreign currency earners, has meant a slide in the foreign exchange reserves, of which the Pula Fund is the main anchor.Foreign exchange reserves that...

  • Analysis paralysis and the approaching fiscal storm

    The gap between knowing what to do and doing it, has been the proverbial thorn in the side of public sector policymakers and the reforms they have attempted to make over the decades since the discovery of diamonds.For those tracking the numbers, the...

  • Gov’t aims for P3.5bn in fresh debt bid

    Government is counting on its domestic debt programme to primarily support the forecast P22.1 billion deficit for the 2025–2026 financial year, with external loans playing a smaller role.However, bidders at the monthly auctions of the government...

  • FIA notes spike in tax evasion

    The findings are contained in a report released by FIA this week on suspicious transaction reports between January and June 2024.FIA researchers found that Zimbabweans were mainly involved in tax evasion, accounting for about P30.8 million, followed...

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