De Beers, gov’t talks enter last lap

Confident: Moagi says both partners are committed to finalising their negotiations by June PIC: MBONGENI MGUNI
Confident: Moagi says both partners are committed to finalising their negotiations by June PIC: MBONGENI MGUNI

The much-anticipated finalisation of a new sales agreement between the government and De Beers is being held up by “two material issues” as the June deadline for the long-drawn out negotiations looms.

BusinessWeek is informed that with the negotiations having dragged on for five years, finalising a deal by June is seen as key to settling market jitters that have grown, fuelled by speculation about why the industry’s major players are yet to wrap up their talks.

The current agreement expired in September 2020 and has been extended several times, initially because of the pandemic and later without clear explanations by either party. In 2018, when they kicked off their negotiations, both sides had established five-member teams to work on their heads of agreement.

Editor's Comment
Gov’t, Balete should bury the hatchet

The acrimony that seemingly characterised the relationship between the Malete Land Board on behalf of the Botswana government and Kgosi Mosadi Seboko and the tribe, should now be water under the bridge as the tribe has finally gotten what it has been fighting for - the land.Kgosi Mosadi has articulated an instance upon which she was allegedly summoned to the State House by the Head of State, Mokgweetsi Masisi where the former claimed she was...

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