Raging diamond wars!
Friday, February 14, 2014
Renowned local entrepreneur Anthony Siwawa together with a diamond merchant, Gil Goshen, were last week quizzed by the Botswana Police over criminal accusations laid against them in a case that turned out to be a fragment of a year-long raging business dispute between two Israeli diamantaires with vast international business interests, being fought on Botswana territory.
Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...