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James Campbell: Botswana Diamonds optimistic as it enters uncharted territory of using AI for mineral exploration

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DTCB plans to sort and value non-De Beers stones

22 february 2018
Diamond Trading Company Botswana (DTCB) is looking into the possibility of taking diamonds from non-De Beers mines for sorting and valuing, Weekendpost quoted DTCB Managing Director Tobake Kobedi as saying.
Speaking to the concept of more capacity to take more work from other customers, Kobedi reiterated that as an organization DTCB desires not to only be limited to receiving diamonds produced by Debswana. “Currently our shareholder agreement as mandated by our establishment we sort diamonds from De Beers mines in Botswana only, but we want to make propositions to our shareholders context of building a legacy for Botswana that shall exist beyond diamond depletion, that look we have to be at the base and host of the entire value chain as a country because we recover the most valuable stones from our local pits,” said Kobedi.
He said that DTCB plant has a capacity to sort and value over 33 million carats of diamonds a year, but currently it only receives 22 million carats from Debswana mines. “Why can’t we take rough diamonds from Lucara, Ghagoo and other mines? Currently the resuscitation of Zimbabwe speaks possibilities of new diamond discoveries, why can’t we ready ourselves to propose intake from them and other mines in the region?”
Kobedi posed these questions explaining the intention of DTCB strategy 2020 and its vision towards to ensuring that Botswana remains a Diamond Hub beyond depletion of the stones.
DTCB Chief Operations Officer Joseph Ithobogeng said that by 2020 the company intends to attain recognition as a world-class processing organisation, be a more reliable, with repeatable and consistent delivery to customers as well as reduced pipeline and increased market flexibility and responsiveness.
“We will have reduced rework through efficient quality systems, reduced business risk and increased customer confidence in meeting sales deadlines by 2020,” he added.