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Namibia - in the search of diamonds - 1998

Namibia - in the search of diamonds - 1998

Jacek Pałkiewicz
2006-06-18 22:40:07

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men who pass through the exit every day are subjected to the x-ray. The gamma rays are potentially harmful and therefore must only be used sporadically. The management has circulated the rumour that the new equipment does no damage to the human body and that, as a result, everyone may be examined when they leave the mine, in theory at least. This rumour is untrue, as is the similar one that the TV cameras stationed everywhere are efficient even at long distances. Such rumours serve as a deterrent curbing the natural human instinct for easy self-enrichment of would-be thieves.
Wages? Are the mineworkers well-paid? A recently hired manual labourer will earn about 800 rand (350 dollars) per month. A technician earns about 1500 dollars a month, as do the security workers. These figures are well up to the average wage for the country. In addition, the workers receive numerous fringe benefits: free lodging, schooling for their children, professional and technical courses, low-cost canteens and petrol at a price which is 10% lower than the rest of the country.

That evening, over dinner in a luxurious candle-lit restaurant I broached a somewhat sensitive subject for CDM: competition from the Soviet diamond industry.
"There is no problem", a top level director concerned with corporate strategy explained to me. "Since 1963 we have had a secret agreement with the USSR whereby we buy all the uncut diamonds Moscow wishes to place on foreign markets. In 1989 we imported two million carats worth 500 million dollars from the USSR. This was a quarter of world production".
I know that diamonds are the second largest source of foreign currency that the USSR possesses after oil. In exchange they buy industrial diamonds for their heavy and defence industries despite the fact that a plant in Kiev produces enormous quantities of synthetic diamonds. The USSR is the fourth largest producer of diamonds in the world, extracting 12,000,000 carats a year, a little less ...

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My youngest son was born in Oranjemund in 1972. We left there in 1974 having enjoyed all the facilities there at the time. Many a time my son has expressed a wish to return to his birth place, out of interest,To see his roots. There certainly was a high divorce rate there at that time, but we found it a friendly place. We left our Bull Terrier dog with one of the security families, & often wondered about him. He was called 'Buzzy' & the children missed him loads. Unfortunately the ill health of my mother lead to our return to the uk.A good move...Maybe ....who knows, it was a lovely rugged country, with good education for the younger children, fantastic health provision, & great opportunities to enhance ones status, carreer wise. We never kept in touch with anyone there, but no doubt they have all moved on by now. With the security still so very tight, I dont suppose my son James will ever fulfill his wish. It would be nice though.If there is a possibility, & anyone could help, we can be contacted via 'gsmith404@btinternet.com' Very interesting article.

Pat Smith, 2007-03-28 23:39:34