ORAPA: The country’s premier mining company Debswana, in partnership with Botswana Post launched 16 ‘Diamond for Botswana’ heritage stamps on Friday, an event that coincided with Debswana’s 54th anniversary.
Debswana wholly sponsored the stamps project and the launch at a combined value of P950,000.
The stamps were launched by Vice President Slumber Tsogwane as part of celebrating Botswana’s heritage and development journey, which has for years been anchored on diamonds. The stamps will be showcased to Batswana and around the world for the next five years, thus giving great exposure, not only to the Debswana brand but most importantly to the country. This is according to Debswana managing director, Andrew Motsomi, who was among the key speakers at the launch.
“This collaboration comes at a very opportune time in synch with President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s robust foreign relations agenda, which primarily seeks to promote Botswana as the ideal tourism and investment destination. I can safely posit, therefore, that both Debswana and BotswanaPost are collectively fulfilling our patriotic duty with this endeavour. Botswana requires all marketing opportunities available to achieve economic diversification,” Motsomi said.
He noted that when BotswanaPost approached Debswana with a proposal of forging a partnership to promote Botswana diamonds through stamps, the latter had very little room to resist.
“BotswanaPost advanced a compelling case that seamlessly synchronised with Debswana’s historic contribution to national development as well as the 2024 strategy.”
Motsomi further stated that the value of marketing opportunities such as the stamp initiative should not be underestimated, especially for the mining industry, which is constantly grappling with a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environment.
“The integrity of Botswana diamonds relies on us as a collective to continually tell our story amidst challenges such as the rise of lab-grown diamonds, global conflicts and political instability in other diamond-producing nations.”
“We are constantly challenged to raise our hand amongst the global masses to declare our diamonds as conflict-free and ethical. That is not an easy feat for an upper middle-income nation that is dependent on the developed world for the sale of its diamonds.”
For his part, BotswanaPost CEO Cornelius Ramatlhakwane said that the Diamonds of Botswana stamp collection holds profound significance as it encapsulates the remarkable journey of diamond mining in Botswana.
“This is not the first time BotswanaPost has issued a diamond stamp. In 2001, BotswanaPost issued its first diamond stamps highlighting the diamond industry in Botswana, depicting the diamond, machinery, and jewellery. These stamps, through their captivating designs and themes of diamonds, history, machinery, and socio-economic development, vividly portray the transformative impact of the diamond industry on our nation.”
The stamps were designed by local artists Monkgogi Samson from Mahalapye and Totanang Motoloki from Goo Tau. Minister of Communications, Knowledge and Technology Thulangayo Segokgo and the Minister of Minerals and Energy Lefoko Moagi were present at the launch.
