London Mining NetworkBotswana | London Mining Network

Diamond houses keep fingers crossed after change of guard at De Beers

Richard — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 15:27:20 +0000

For decades, a quaint practice marks the secretive world of diamond trade. Every five weeks, elite diamond houses from all over the world assemble in a room in London, and behind the closed doors, each one of them is given a small box of rough stones by De Beers – the cartel known for its formidable clout and control on the supply of roughs. Every box contains a mix of good and not-so-good stones. The buyers quietly pick the boxes and take flights back to Mumbai or Antwerp, where the stones are cut and polished by skilled craftsmen. No questions are asked. No one has a choice.

But the visits to London will soon come to an end. A year from now, the diamond houses will have to send their men to Botswana – the African country that in the coming years may call the shots in the business.

See http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-12-13/news/30511747_1_roughs-diamond-auctions-diamond-trading.

(De Beers is controlled by Anglo American plc.)

Oppenheimers flog De Beers stake to Anglo American

Richard — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:09:53 +0000

Shining under the blazing African sun, diamonds have an allure consummate with their high price and beauty. For Anglo American, a Fortune 500 globally diversified miner, the opportunity to get their hands on some more sparkle has proved too much to resist. Last week the mining giant announced that it would acquire the 40 percent of De Beers, a company that mines two-fifths of the world’s diamonds, from the Oppenheimer family for USD5.1 billion. This would take Anglo-American’s stake in De Beers to 85 percent; the rest is owned by the government of Botswana, where the firm rakes in over 60 percent of its profit thanks to Botswana’s four profitable mines.

See http://www.botswanaguardian.co.bw/newsdetails.php?nid=2937&cat=BG%20News.

South Africa gold miners sue Anglo American

Richard — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:36:09 +0000

Former gold miners in South Africa are suing industry giant Anglo American in the London High Court for allegedly damaging their health, their lawyers say.

The ex-workers contracted lung diseases because of bad ventilation in the UK-based company’s South African mines, their lawyers allege.

They are demanding compensation of millions of dollars.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14992024.

Borehole breakthrough for Botswana’s Bushmen

Richard — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:25:52 +0000

Survival International has been speaking to Bushmen from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve as they celebrate drinking water from the Mothomelo borehole for the first time in nine years. It marks a significant step towards their full return to their ancestral lands following a landmark court ruling in 2006.

Survival believes the Bushmen were evicted from their land due to its rich diamond reserves. De Beers, one of the world’s largest diamond companies held the mining concession at Gope, a Bushman community for 25 years. However following the negative publicity from Survival’s campaign it sold its diamond deposit at Gope to Gem Diamonds in 2007. Gem Diamonds is now developing its mine within the Kalahari Reserve, whilst funding projects to re-instate and drill new boreholes.

See http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/7662.

Victory for Kalahari Bushmen as court grants right to water

Richard — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:54:52 +0000

In a case which may have implications for London-listed Gem Diamonds, the Botswana government has been judged guilty of ‘degrading treatment’. The case was described as ‘a harrowing story of human suffering and despair’.

See http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/6925 utm_source=Survival+International&utm_campaign=a032628180-enews_special_Bushmen_success_1_27_2011&utm_medium=email.

Botswana approves $3bn mine as Bushman water case gets underway

Richard — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 08:59:06 +0000

Botswana’s government has green-lighted a massive $3bn mine in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve – in the middle of the Kalahari Bushmen’s appeal against the Botswana authorities’ refusal to allow them access to water there.

London-listed Gem Diamonds announced that its application to open a huge diamond mine near the Bushman community of Gope in the reserve has been approved. The company claims to have secured the consent of the Bushmen on whose lands the mine will be located.

Survival, however, has repeatedly told Gem Diamonds that the Bushmen are entitled to independent advice on what the likely impact of the mine will be. No such advice has been given, and many Bushmen whose lands will be affected still live outside the reserve in resettlement camps after their 2002 eviction, as the government refuses to allow them to hunt or even access water in the reserve. Survival and the Bushmen have always maintained that the Bushmen were evicted to make way for diamond mining. The government long denied this, claiming the diamond deposit at Gope was ‘sub-economic’.

See http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/6859.

Botswana government rejects high-profile court ruling

Richard — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 17:22:05 +0000

Four years on from a court victory which saw the Kalahari Bushmen win the right to live on their ancestral lands, the Botswana government has issued a statement flouting the ruling.

Survival International believes that the government’s attitude to the Bushmen is affected by the presence of diamonds in the traditional territory. Diamond companies active in Botswana include De Beers (45% owned by London-based Anglo American) and London-based Gem Diamonds.

See http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/6766.

Celebrities back Survival’s call to boycott Botswana diamonds

Richard — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 17:34:11 +0000

Gillian Anderson, Quentin Blake, Joanna Lumley, Sophie Okonedo, and Mark Rylance are amongst the celebrities who have pledged not to travel to Botswana or wear its diamonds until the Bushmen are allowed to live on their ancestral lands in peace.

Celebrated jeweller, Pippa Small, said, ‘As jewellers we have for years made sure that we do not use blood diamonds. Now we also need to boycott Botswana diamonds until the Bushmen are allowed to live and hunt freely on their land’.

Both De Beers (controlled by Anglo American) and Gem Diamonds are involved in Botswana.

See http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/6587.

Outrage as Botswana Bushmen denied water rights – while Gem Diamonds is allowed access

Richard — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:18:38 +0000

A Botswana judge has ruled that Bushmen who returned to their lands in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve are not allowed to drill wells for water. The decision condemns them to having to walk up to 380 km to fetch water in one of the driest places on earth.

See http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/6257?utm_source=E-news+%28English%29&utm_campaign=2157542869-E_news_special_Bushmen_ruling7_22_2010&utm_medium=email

Debswana to proceed with Jwaneng Tailings Project

Richard — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:39:02 +0000

Firestone Diamonds plc, the AIM-quoted diamond mining and exploration company, is responsible for financing, construction and operation of the plant. Firestone Diamonds plc is an international diamond mining and exploration company with operations in Botswana and South Africa. Botswana is the world’s largest and lowest cost producer of diamonds, with annual production worth over $2.5 billion, and is considered to be one of the most prospective countries in the world to explore for diamonds. Firestone is the largest holder of mineral rights in Botswana’s diamondiferous kimberlite fields, controlling over 25,000 square kilometres around the major Orapa and Jwaneng mines and the entire Tsabong kimberlite field. Firestone has 103 kimberlites in its portfolio, of which BK11 is about to commence production, and 29 others have been proven to be diamondiferous.

Botswana army and police enter Bushman reserve

Richard — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 11:14:44 +0000

Trucks of soldiers and police entered the Central Kalahari Game Reserve last week, according to Survival International. Survival believes this is to intimidate the Bushmen, and perhaps even force them out, because:
1) Gem Diamonds wants to open a diamond mine on their land (Gem Diamonds is based in London);
2) the Botswana High Court is now due to hear a Bushman application to reinstate their water borehole.

See http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/6006.

How Sustainable Is ‘Socially Responsible’ Mining?

Richard — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:05:06 +0000

In the ten years since the mining industry has gone “responsible,” have things really improved for local communities–or has the industry’s PR just got better? (Mentions Vedanta, Monterrico Metals).

See http://www.thenation.com/doc/20100301/kennard?rel=emailNation.…
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“Avatar is real” say tribal people

Richard — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:42:20 +0000

As the acclaimed 3D film ‘Avatar’ is nominated for an Oscar in the Best Film category, tribal peoples around the world have claimed the film tells the real story of their lives today.

See http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=15576.

See also comment on similarities between Avatar and the Bougainville struggle against Rio Tinto’s Panguna mine: http://socialistaotearoa.blogspot.com/2010/02/avatars-secret-history-lesson-on-our.html.

Benchmarks report on De Beers

Richard — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:13:19 +0000

The South African Benchmarks Foundation has produced a report on the activities of De Beers in Botswana and on South Africa’s west coast. London-based Anglo American plc owns 45% of De Beers.

See http://www.bench-marks.org.za/ and …
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De Beers slammed on Botswana mines

Richard — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:45:51 +0000

De Beers’ diamond mining activities in Botswana have failed to generate benefits for communities in the areas where it operates, according to a hard-hitting report compiled by the Bench Marks Foundation. The report…focuses on…Debswana [joint venture De Beers, Govt of Botswana]. It describes this arrangement as a “marriage”, which…exists “at the expense of communities, human rights, the environment and sustainable local economic development”…De Beers…charges that the report “neither reflects our experience in Botswana nor the findings of numerous reputable independent studies by academics and bodies ranging from the UN Development Programme to the World Bank”.

See http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/819662.