REMOVING THE SPARKLE

Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane has once again thrown consultation to the four winds and dumped the long-standing practice of granting exemption to rough diamonds being sent to neighbouring Botswana so that they can be like-for-like sorted with diamonds mined in Botswana, Namibia and Canada. This sustains South Africa’s diamond cutting and polishing industry, which needs big stones, and optimises foreign exchange revenue through local value addition. Up to now, ...