Mmegi

Botswana unearths rare track diamonds

The 4x400m gold medal winning team.PIC:EPA
The 4x400m gold medal winning team.PIC:EPA

Botswana has been heavily reliant on the sparkle of diamonds to power forward her economy, with the country’s success story reaching the global corridors. But in the middle of the captivating tale of how the natural stones have transformed the economic fortunes of a semi-arid Southern African nation, lies an even more enchanting account, capturing the rise of a sparsely populated nation to global sports stardom, writes MQONDISI DUBE

On the fringes of the vast Kalahari desert, which stretches more than 900,000 square kilometres across three countries, lies Botswana’s most valuable commodity: the sparkling diamond.

The diamonds have been the mainstay of the country’s economy, driving the nation’s prosperity since independence. Botswana is now the world’s largest producer of diamonds by value, a development credited with lifting the country from rags to riches.

Editor's Comment
Human rights are sacred

It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...

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