Lesotho auctions diamonds collected from illegal miners

The government of Lesotho recently auctioned diamonds collected from illegal miners, according to media reports.
The country’s National Assembly passed a law last year that granted amnesty to people in possession of illegal rough diamonds should they declare them to the government.
The Southern Times reports that of the 493 diamonds auctioned, 140 were voluntarily handed over by the public while 353 were confiscated by the police.
The auction, which was held from May 27 to 29, attracted buyers from Netherlands, Israel and South Africa as well as the locals.
Mining Minister Serialong Qoo was quoted as saying that revenue collected from the forfeited diamonds would go to the state while proceeds from the stones voluntarily handed to the government would be paid into the holders’ bank accounts.
“I am very delighted that this day has finally come after it was initially delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
“This is a big move as parliament has now embraced the idea of letting Basotho mine with their picks and shovels legally.”
The passing of the Precious Stones (Prevention of Illicit and Theft of Diamonds) Regulations, 2020 was expected to clear illegal diamonds off the black market and paves way for the re-introduction of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) by the government.
Small scale diamond mining in Lesotho was first introduced in 1961 at Letšeng-la-Terai and later extended to Hololo, Kao and Liqhobong.
However, the government stopped issuing licences for small-scale mining in 2004 due to safety concerns since the sector was largely informal and unregulated.

Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished