Saurimo – The Republic of Angola has eight diamond cutting factories, which employ 673 young Angolans, said on Monday in Saurimo, eastern Lunda Sul Province, the minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Luele diamond project, he emphasised that more factories would be set up and that young people were being trained to find jobs in these factories.
He recalled that, as part of the fulfilment of the Head of State guidelines, in the middle of Covid-19, Angolan National Diamond Trading Company (SODIAM) built the Saurimo Diamond Development Pole, where all the conditions for the implementation of cutting factories and all the necessary infrastructures for the proper functioning of this activity were installed.
Banks, insurance companies, a clinic, accommodation for workers, restaurants, a factory-school for diamond cutters and an Endiama vocational school for training in various specialities, are among the infrastructures built.
He emphasised that in order to increase production and better integrate the Angolan diamond industry into the international context of this product, after several years of tough negotiations, the government had brought De Beers Group diamond company back to its operation in the country.
The minister emphasised that for the first time, the global mining giant Rio Tinto is operating in the country, which, in addition to diamonds, is checking out the opportunity to invest in prospecting for other minerals.
To him, production from the Luele mine will contribute to a significant increase in diamond production in Angola.
He said that ENDIAMA national diamond company had been instructed to follow a different strategy in order to start production as soon as possible.
To this end, he said that a team had been set up made up only of Angolan technicians, who with the support of Endiama's Board of Directors, Catoca Mining Society and the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas had brought the mission to a successful conclusion.
"All the pessimism surrounding the success of the project has been overcome with the fulfilment of the targets set. That's why I would like to introduce this young team, led by Engineer Rómulo Mucase, who overcame the technical and financial difficulties and allowed us to be here today," he said.
Diamantino Azevedo said the diamond mining sector in particular has often been measured only by the reduced analyses that are made to the main macroeconomic indicators.
"Often overlooked are important aspects of the power of this industry to bring life and development to often inhospitable rural areas, as well as its contribution to the functioning of many other sectors of the economy, as I am sure you are seeing in this mine," he emphasised.
He recognised the contribution of the diamond sector in particular, as well as the mining sector in general, to the social, educational and pedagogical projects of recent years that have proved relevant and which will soon be published in two reports, adding that the government is aware that mining is not renewable from a human point of view.
"That is why we are implementing a programme so that in this area, where the Catoca Mining Society and Luele Mining Society projects are currently being developed, a housing, tourist, agricultural, teaching and research hub will emerge, during the course of mining activity and in the future after mining, which will make not only Angola's mine workers proud, but all Angolans proud," he concluded.
DC/VC/MRA/jmc
