KEETMANSHOOP - //Kharas regional council chairperson, Joseph Isaacks has once again openly and publicly denounced the naming, to Egumbo Star, of the recently discovered 15.06 carat diamond in the south of the country.
He said this during a media conference in Keetmanshoop last week. According to him, it is just as much unacceptable to rename the Zambezi River to !Garib as to naming a diamond mined in the south of the country to ‘Egumbo’ Star which relates to the north.
«The Namibian government has once again (through unveiling this highest colour grading gem worth N$26 million, that will go to the market with the misplaced identity mark) demonstrated its contemptuous, indifferent and inconsistent agenda that they impose on the citizens of this country,” he strongly asserted.
Isaacks continued that the Namdia board is insensitive and inconsiderate towards the people of the south by giving names not depicting the region to a resource that emanates from it.
“The naming of resources should thus give recognition to the area from where it comes,” he emphasized.
“How will we secure and safeguard a cohesive society if the central government takes irresponsible decisions and promote preferential governance towards one tribal group at the expense of others?” he asked.
The Keetmanshoop Urban constituency councillor also said he condemns any form of discrimination and oppression on their historical events and therefore denounce to support the “irresponsible” renaming of its /Amiros (diamond) in any other vernacular language.
Isaacks said //Kharas residents and the broader southerners will demand from and instruct Namdia board chairperson, Bryan Eiseb and Samir Gems company managing director, Devang Bhansali to give a name that represents the region where the diamond is found,” said Isaacks.
New Era recently reported that while unveiling the stone, Eiseb stated it is historic for Namdia as they entered into a joint venture agreement with Samir Gems to bring the exceptionally sized rough diamond into the mainstream market. He added that the goal is to position the diamond into direct channels to private clients.
“The Egumbo Star is valued at US1.5 million or roughly N$26 million, highlighting a price appreciation of 59% from rough to polish and reinforcing the undeniable importance of value addition and benefaction,” he said.
The article also reported that the Gemological Institute of America has certified the diamond’s origin, giving great provenance to Namibia and Namdia. The diamond is named after Namdia’s headquarters in Windhoek, which holds significance as many Namibians found refuge in the building during the pre-independence era.