Diamonds are forever, what about the jobs

"We had a chance to mourn when Ekapa announced liquidation plans; but we chose to fight. A job loss is more than not receiving a pay slip; it is a loss of livelihoods for workers,"

said Andile Zitho, NUMSA regional secretary for Free State and Northern Cape. NUMSA recently won a court order placing Ekapa Mining into business rescue instead of liquidation, preserving Kimberley-area jobs while a restructuring plan is developed. Delegates cited it as proof that unions can resist closures and force companies into processes that protect livelihoods.

Affiliates of IndustriALL Global Union, including Botswana Diamond Workers Union (BDWU), Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU), Independent Democratic Union of Lesotho (IDUL), Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN), National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), Tanzania Mining Energy and Construction Workers Union (TAMICO), the Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDAMWU) met company representatives to discuss retrenchments, restructuring and the industry's response to weaker demand for natural diamonds.

De Beers chief executive Kevin Smith told delegates that "diamonds are forever" and that a sustainable future for natural stones is necessary.

"Diamonds are about economies, communities, and development, and diamond mining should embrace integrity, consumer confidence, and be conflict free,"

he said.

Naseem Lahri, managing director of Lucara Botswana, pointed to the company's governance standards and union relations.

"We are governed by standards such as Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM), are part of the Responsible Jewellery Council, and maintain productive engagement with the unions,"

she said.

HB Botswana displayed its high-tech skills development programme in cutting and polishing during a visit to the Diamond Technology Park by the delegates.

Producer countries and companies are also coordinating their response. Under the Luanda Accord, signed in June 2025, Botswana, South Africa, Angola, Namibia, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and De Beers agreed to direct part of rough-diamond revenue into a Natural Diamond Council campaign promoting natural stones over synthetic alternatives.

Emmanuel Adjei-Danso, IndustriALL director for mining and diamonds, said the transition must not come at workers' expense. "Diamond mining is going through a transition, and workers are part of this transition. This is why we must continue to emphasize on freedom of association, job security, health and safety, and ending gender-based violence and harassment,"

he said.

This regional context explains why unions want a coordinated response: diamonds support public revenue, suppliers, communities and thousands of jobs now exposed to weaker demand and restructuring.

Regional pressure points for workers

Across the six countries, diamonds remain tied to revenue, exports, suppliers and mining-town livelihoods. Botswana leads through Debswana and Lucara but has cut output as demand weakens. South Africa's diamond belt faces costly operational changes and retrenchment fears. Lesotho, Namibia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe differ in scale and geology but face the same question: how to protect jobs, rights, and communities as natural diamonds adjust to lab-grown competition and restructuring.

Certification can protect the integrity of natural diamonds, but not workers on its own. IndustriALL's global diamond network must now turn regional unity into bargaining power that protects jobs, upholds rights, improves safety and ensures workers and mining communities do not carry the burden of the diamond transition.