GABORONE, June 15 (Xinhua) -- Botswana's apex business body, Business Botswana, on Saturday criticized diamond firm De Beers Group for not translating the diamond beneficiation drive into benefiting Botswana entrepreneurs.
Gobusamang Keebine, Business Botswana president, said it is high time that President Mokgweetsi Masisi coerced De Beers into radically transform the diamond industry for local entrepreneurs and general members of the community to benefit.
Keebine made the call during the 5th regional high level consultative conference in Francistown, Botswana's second largest city.
"It is imperative that a greater sense of urgency is given to reforms that will ensure that Botswana entrepreneurs are able to benefit," said Keebine, adding that De Beers must learn from Chinese firms operating in Botswana.
According to Keebine, Botswana is now boasting a sizeable number of local entrepreneurs in the construction sector because the Chinese business operators have been over the years transferring skills to locals.
This is in total contrast to what is happening in the diamond sector, as the benefits deriving from the diamond industry have unfortunately not been enjoyed by Batswana (citizens of Botswana) who are running businesses in the sector.
In 2006, the sales agreement between the Botswana government and De Beers ushered in beneficiation opportunities in the cutting and polishing sector, paving the way for the relocation of diamond sorting in Gaborone, Botswana's capital city from London, which finally got realized in 2013.
"While this laudable initiative created over 3, 600 jobs at its peak, unfortunately the bulk of the job opportunities were at the lower level. The beneficiation drive has not translated into Botswana citizens being able to make inroads into ownership," he said.
Nicole Senuku, De Beers' corporate affairs specialist, told Xinhua in a telephone interview that the multinational company is doing everything in its power to ensure the goal of the beneficiation drive is fully realized.
Last year, Masisi highlighted that his administration pins its hope for employment creation on enhanced diamond and other mineral beneficiation for the benefits of the country's citizens.
