Botswana President Duma Boko has announced the planned termination of over 1,000 workers at Debswana, the country’s joint venture with diamond giant De Beers, citing the ongoing global downturn in the diamond market.
Speaking recently to civil servants, Boko attributed the decision to declining demand and sustained economic pressure across the diamond industry.
However, the Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) strongly condemned the announcement, criticizing the government for bypassing proper consultation processes.
In a formal statement, the BMWU expressed outrage over the lack of communication, noting that the announcement was made without prior engagement with the union, which is the legally recognized representative of Debswana employees.
“While we respect the office of the president and recognize the importance of national dialogue on economic matters, we are dismayed that such a sensitive and life-altering matter—directly impacting thousands of workers and their families—was publicly announced without any consultation,” the union stated.
The union emphasized that it was already in formal discussions with Debswana regarding potential workforce reductions and called the president’s statement “highly inappropriate and deeply concerning.” It urged the government to correct the record to prevent unnecessary public alarm and confusion.
In response, the government defended the president’s remarks, stating that Boko’s comments reflected a “commitment to transparency” and the public’s right to be informed about significant economic issues affecting the national workforce.
The layoffs come amid a sustained slump in the global diamond industry. De Beers, co-owner of Debswana, has been severely affected by market conditions and is currently seeking a buyer after parent company Anglo American announced plans to divest from the diamond miner.
Anglo has already written down De Beers’ value twice—by $1.56 billion at the end of 2023 and another $2.88 billion in February 2024.
In April, De Beers reported a 44% year-on-year decline in first-quarter sales, which fell to $520 million from $925 million a year earlier.
De Beers has not responded to requests for comment regarding the layoffs as of press time. The situation continues to unfold as both the government and the union navigate the economic and social fallout of the proposed job cuts.
