tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6177844902138634746.post7993092183892037624..comments2023-10-03T06:38:08.927-04:00Comments on Institute of Knowledge: No Knowledge No Market ParticipationInstitute of Knowledgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05428494773111546417noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6177844902138634746.post-61198896023997772172007-11-05T08:51:00.000-05:002007-11-05T08:51:00.000-05:00I agree with you 100%. All these countries are cha...I agree with you 100%. All these countries are changing their attitudes because of the BEE that took place in South Africa.Mugabe is trying to emulate Mbeki, and Botswana is being encouraged to move to become the center of gravity in sorting out diamonds.Bhekuzulu Khumalohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17144954736292648560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6177844902138634746.post-78535539713571408882007-11-05T07:30:00.000-05:002007-11-05T07:30:00.000-05:00Botswana is currently the worlds 1st largest produ...Botswana is currently the worlds 1st largest producer of diamonds, both by volume (mass in carats) and in terms of value of production. It is a country that produces the world’s highest quality diamonds. Diamonds in Botswana are a major foreign exchange earner and play a significant role in the socio-economic development of this nation. Botswana is dependent on diamonds. Diamonds were discovered for the first time in this country soon after independence. Ever since the discovery, this nation has never found any other significant economic activities. In 20 years from now, Botswana will run out of diamonds and the leaders in this country have a challenge to diversify the economy to sustain the country’s existence beyond the mining of diamonds. It is imperative for Botswana to start seeing themselves as price makers instead of price takers in the future. At this present moment, one of the biggest problems in Botswana is high unemployment amongst high educated recent university graduates. It would seem then that the education system does not train according to the needs of the market. Perhaps the training institutions in this country should start thinking about matching the needs of the economy with the type of training they offer the nation to ensure significant training around value addition or beneficiation of raw materials. It would be good to see Botswana get further and further beyond mining and more and more into the entire diamond value chain. Very soon in the future, De Beers will be moving the centre of gravity of diamond sorting from London to Gaborone in Botswana. This will be an impetus for Botswana’s move along this road of creating a very strong diamond industry rather than merely a strong diamond-mining industry. I hope for the sake of the citizens of this country and for the development of the African continent as a whole that there is a progressive and forward thinking leadership in Botswana that will capitalise on such opportunities and take full advantage of such.<BR/><BR/>Mahadi NtoampeUlthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13883180800923065107noreply@blogger.com