De Beers today announced the creation of a new position - Resident Director and CEO of De Beers Botswana - and the appointment of Mr Neo Moroka to the role. Mr. Moroka, who was previously CEO of BP in Botswana and Minister of Trade and Industry, will be responsible for De Beers’ commercial interests in Botswana.
The past several years have seen De Beers’ investment in Botswana deepen as the company has widened its commitment from upstream to downstream, with a strong focus on diamond beneficiation and partnership. Debswana continues to be the largest diamond producer in world, while the construction of an $83 million state-of-the-art facility has established DTCB as the world’s largest centre for the sorting and valuing of diamonds.
In commenting on the appointment, Gareth Penny, De Beers Group Managing Director, said, “As our partnership with Botswana grows, so too must our commitment to ensure we are actively managing and optimising our investments, while delivering on the aspirations of our partners and stakeholders in Botswana. We are excited to have somebody of Neo’s capabilities join us and are looking forward, in the years ahead, to further enhancing Botswana’s position as a leading player in the global diamond industry.”
Mr. Moroka will take up his new position in the coming weeks and will be responsible for ensuring that a compelling vision is in place for all De Beers Botswana operations, ensuring necessary stakeholder commitment, and for the implementation of this vision.
About De Beers
De Beers, established in 1888, is the world’s leading rough diamond company with unrivalled expertise in the exploration, mining and marketing of diamonds. De Beers, and its joint venture partners, operate in more than 20 countries across five continents employing around 15,000 people. From its mining operations across Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Canada, De Beers produces and markets approximately 40 percent of the world’s supply of rough diamonds. As part of the company’s operating philosophy, the people of De Beers are committed to Living up to Diamonds by making a lasting contribution to the communities in which they live and work. In the countries in which we have mining operations, this means carrying out profitable business, whilst at the same time helping Governments achieve their aspirations of turning natural resources into shared national wealth. De Beers encourages sustainable working to ensure long-term positive development for Africa, and returns approximately US$4.7 billion to the continent every year. For further information about De Beers visit www.debeersgroup.com
Contact
Lynette Gould
De Beers Group
Tel: +44 (0) 207 430 3509
Cell: +44 (0) 7740 393260
Lynette.gould@debeersgroup.co.uk