A DAZZLING DECADE
Lucara celebrate 10 years of diamonds
This week, one of the biggest successes in the diamond industry, Lucara Botswana, celebrated ten dazzling years of digging.
To mark the occasion, the mining mega giants, who run Karowe Mine on the outskirts of Letlhakane, held a gala dinner on Monday night as they reflected on a decade of diamonds.
Looking backing with pride on Lucara’s long list of achievements, the company’s Managing Director (MD), Naseem Lahri said, “In these 10 years, we have achieved many firsts; we have broken world records and brought in technology that has never been seen anywhere in the world.”
Lahri noted they have revolutionised sales to a level previously unseen in the diamond industry. Lucara has a sales agreement with Belgium-based HB Trading BV, which is credited with the company’s high revenues.
Having started life with 86 employees in 2012, Lahri said that number now stands at over 2,000, with a workforce that is 98 percent local and 30 percent female.
Despite the billions they have made, Lahri says giving back to the community is what Lucara truly lives for.
“Most importantly, what brings more joy to us are the experiences we have through impact investment while working in our communities in Boteti region and the county as whole,” she declared.
Going forward, Lahri said they are full of optimism at what the next ten years might hold for Lucara. “It will be amazing,” she predicted. To that end, this week, Lucara launched its underground operations at Karowe Mine, an expansion project set to cost around P6 billion. The project seeks to increase the volumes from the mine and extend its life to 2046.
Guest speaker at the event, President Mokgweetsi Masisi, commended the company for such a hefty investment.
He also applauded Lucara for making a deliberate decision to take diamonds and diamond knowledge to the general public through the participation in naming its extraordinary diamonds. These include whoppers such as Lesedi La Rona, recovered from Karowe Mine in November 2015, and Sewelo, dug up in April 2019.
Although trying to shift the economy to a knowledge-based one, President Masisi, who was gifted with diamondencrusted jewellery on the night, stressed mining will continue to play a vital role in the country’s development trajectory.