By ‘Majirata Latela
The ministry of mining has this week inexplicably failed to release a report on the sale of diamonds to a cream of diamond buyers.
The ministry had promised to publish the report after the auction to sell the gems was held last month.
The sold stones were confiscated from the illegal dealers by the police while other gems were surrendered by the small diamond dealers who did panning in various parts of the country.
Contacted for comment, the ministry’s public relations officer ‘Makananelo Motseko said the document was being finalised by the principal secretary and the commissioner of mines.
Motseko could not say when the report would be released, except to say it would be soon.
She said the delay was also caused by failure of other buyers to pay for the sold gems in time.
On the one hand, Lesotho’s founding member of the committee campaigning for legalising artisanal mining and member of a diamond club, General Sentle, told this publication that the delay was on the side of the diamond owners who did not have bank accounts.
“Some diamond owners did not even have identity documents to open bank accounts so they were given some time to make necessary arrangements that would facilitate payments. But I believe the report will be available next week,” Sentle said.
“All I can say is that all went well as planned,” Sentle said.
The two-day closed diamond auction was held at the end of May the ‘Manthabiseng Convention Centre on Basotho’ surrendered diamonds and confiscated diamonds.
This after the government, through a parliamentary process, issued a year and two-month amnesty to the illegal diamond dealers to surrender their gems to the mining department.
The auction was launched by the deputy prime minister Mathibeli Mokhothu in which both the surrendered stones and those confiscated from illegal dealers were on display to bidders.
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 principal engineer of the mining ministry Pokane Koatla last month told the parliamentary portfolio committee on natural resources, tourism and land cluster that the department collected 140 stones from the districts of Butha-Buthe, Leribe and Maseru while none were obtained in Mafeteng.
Since the beginning of the amnesty the total diamonds collected weighed 35.64 carats from the districts of Maseru, Butha-Buthe and Leribe.
Those who possessed the gems were present to witness the sale of their resources.
“The long awaited day for the selling of diamonds that Basotho surrendered to us even though they did not trust that we will deliver as promised has finally come.
“All the diamonds which are going for sale today are 493 but I am told the number could go be more than that. The money collected from confiscated diamonds will be channelled into the state fund,” said minister of natural resources Serialong Qoo at the auction.
He promised a transparent sale for the traders.
Mokhothu had said the ministry of small business worked hard to ensure Basotho were licensed to deal in diamonds, a move which he said would bring life to the ailing economy.
“It is vital that Basotho also get to benefit from their natural resources because that will also make them to ensure that such resources are in safe hands in order to compete with the outside world.
“Today’s sale gives us hope as the Basotho nation that one day all the diamonds found in Lesotho will be sold in the country and Basotho will be able to take part without any fear of getting arrested for being in possession of diamonds,” he said.
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.
