By ‘Majirata Latela
Licensed diamond dealers are seeking an extension period for illegal diamond holders to surrender their stones to the mining ministry.
The government, through parliament, last year issued a year and two-month amnesty to the illegal diamonds holders to surrender their gems to the mining department.
The licensed dealers argue that the amnesty period was not sufficient to allow many illegal stone holders to come to the fore to surrender the rock to the department of mining.
The legal sellers believe that the ministry should have offered a maximum five-year amnesty period in order to ensure that several stone holders would surrender their precious stones.
The artisanal and small scale diamond miners who were in possession of the stones illegally, were given a grace period ending last March to issue their stones to the department.
Lesotho’s founding member of the committee campaigning for legalising artisanal mining and member of a diamond club, General Sentle, told this publication that he, along with former Member of Parliament Mpalipali Molefe and with Mathews Mochochoko, were actively baying for policy formulation on small scale mining.
Sentle claims that illegal dealers sought an assurance that their prized stones would be auctioned “so that they would get their money.”
“People still seem to be very sceptical about coming forward to surrender their stones because they know how the government operates. They want to see first if the government will deliver as promised,” he told the tabloid.
“Together with other diamond dealers and gurus, we believe that the government should give these people enough time to make up their minds so that they can eventually come in numbers to bring the stones. These people are only waiting to see how the auction will go. If all goes well, they will surely submit their diamonds,” Sentle suggested.
He reiterated that a five-year amnesty period would be enough to allow the department to collect as many gems as possible.
However, Sentle welcomed a move by government to call on miners and unlicensed dealers to deposit their items with the department for future auctioning.
He said for a long time foreign companies were mining the country’s natural resources while the locals were left in just small scale mining activities., commenting that panning industry would alleviate poverty rampant in many families.
Since the start of the amnesty period, the department collected only 140 diamonds weighing 35.64 carats from the districts of Maseru, Butha-Buthe, Leribe and Mafeteng.
The mining ministry’s minister Serialong Qoo admitted before the parliamentary portfolio committee on natural resources, tourism and land cluster, that the period for collection of the stones bore no good results.
“Those who agreed to surrender their stones, only brought in little gems with just little value,” Qoo suggested. He thought some of the dealers were selling their resources in black market.
Apart from Covid-19 protocols allowing for social distancing and avoiding large crowds, the ministry fell short of funding to do round the country visits to collect the stones.
The collected diamonds were not enough for holding an auction. Instead, bids are to be called for 209.98 gems confiscated by police from illegal dealers.
The principal engineer at the mining ministry, Pokane Koatla said they were only able to collect the 140 stones of diamonds from the districts of Butha-Buthe, Leribe and Maseru while none were obtained in Mafeteng, contrary to Qoo’s presentation in the portfolio committee.
It is envisaged that preference would be given to the licensed dealers to buy the stones and that the Lesotho mining companies would be requested diamond valuation.
The method for disposing of the diamonds to the buyers is yet to be approved next week.
The deputy principal secretary, Rethabile Mosisili told this paper the ministry had targeted to collect about 150 diamonds from the illegal traders.
He confirmed that a valuation for diamonds would be sought from mining companies operating in Lesotho, noting that some diamonds were still found in the wrong hands after a lapse of the amnesty period.
Lesotho has for many years been struggling to stamp out illicit diamond sales and the formulation and adoption of the new mining policy in 2015 brought hope that the country would be free from illicit trading.
Communities around the four diamond mines in the country have consistently complained that those minerals are not helping to get them out of poverty, saying the minerals were only increasing the wealth of those in power.
We could not immediately find any of the unlicensed diamond dealers. However, one of those who took his stones the ministry in January said he did not think the government would double-cross them.
“I am more at ease dealing with the government because it gives us peace of mind of no longer having to hide out diamonds. Before this arrangement we had to constantly look over our shoulder because there are people out there who were always looking to rob us. That was risky business because it is illegal, to be honest.
“People should know that being in illegal possession of diamonds illegally invites smugglers and other undesirable to come and kill them. I, therefore, appeal to everyone who has diamonds to bring them to the ministry because they will be safe there, and it enables them to do things legally, especially once they are given permits to mine wherever they spot a potential for natural resources.
“I advise all those who have diamonds to come forward. If we let this opportunity pass us, we will be deemed to be in illegal possession of those diamonds, and that could have serious consequences. Also, they will have regrets when they see us cashing in,” Ratlali said.
He went on commend government for extending a hand of friendship to them, as the illegal diamonds they extract are a source of their livelihoods.
