GUS calls for diamond beneficiation

He said that for a long time, a foreign company has dominated the valuing of Botswana diamonds, and has shown no interest in passing those skills on to Batswana.

The assistant minister said this when commenting on the budget proposal for the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources in Parliament yesterday. Matlhabaphiri also requested the minister (Ponatshego Kedikilwe) to engage young Batswana working in the diamond sector and solicit information and advice on diamonds instead of always relying on expatriates for such information. He said that there is a serious shortage of water in Molepolole where people wake up in the early hours of the morning to secure a few drums of water for the day.