Africa-Press – Angola. The country has eight diamond cutting factories, which employ 673 young Angolans, said this Monday, in Saurimo, the Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo.
The government official, who was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Luele diamond project, highlighted that more factories will emerge and young people are being trained who will find employment in these manufacturing units.
He recalled that, within the scope of complying with the guidance of the Holder of the Executive Power, in the midst of Covid-19, Sodiam built the Saurimo Diamond Development Pole, where all the conditions were installed for the implementation of cutting factories and all infrastructure. structures necessary for the proper functioning of this activity.
Among the infrastructures built, there are banks, insurance companies, a clinic, accommodation for workers, restaurants, a factory-school for stone cutters and an Endiama technical-professional school for training in various specialties.
He indicated that, in order to increase production and better insertion of the Angolan diamond industry in the international context of this product, after a few years of fierce negotiations, the Executive brought De Beers back to the country.
Likewise, for the first time, “we have the global mining giant, Rio Tinto, in our country, which, in addition to diamonds, is looking at the opportunity to make investments in prospecting for other minerals”, he highlighted.
For the minister, production from the Luele Mine will contribute to a significant increase in diamond production in Angola.
He made it known that Endiama was advised to follow a different strategy to start production as soon as possible.
To this end, he said that a team was created made up only of Angolan technicians, who with the support of the Endiama Management, Sociedade Mineira de Catoca and the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas carried out the mission successfully.
“All pessimism surrounding the success of the project was overcome with the achievement of the goals set. I therefore want to present this young team, led by Engineer Rômulo Mucase, who overcame the technical and financial difficulties and allowed us to be here today”, expressed.
Diamantino Azevedo observed, on the other hand, that the diamond mining sector in particular has often been measured only by the reductive analysis carried out on its main macro-economic indicators.
“Often, important aspects of the power of this industry to bring life and development to rural areas that are often inhospitable, and its contribution to the functioning of many other sectors of the economy are not considered, as you are certainly seeing in this mine”, he stressed.
He recognized that the contribution of the diamond sector in particular and the mining sector in general, to social, education and teaching projects in recent years has been relevant and we will soon publish these projects in two reports.
He noted that the Executive is aware that mining activity, from a human point of view, is not renewable.
“That’s why we are implementing a program so that in this area where the projects of Sociedade Mineira de Catoca and Sociedade Mineira do Luele are currently being developed, a housing, tourist, agricultural, teaching and research, which will make not only Angolan mining workers proud, but all Angolans”, he concluded.
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