South African and Zimbabwean Mining Ministers to Take Part in WDC Meeting

Susan Shabangu, Minister of Mineral Resources of the Republic of South Africa, and Dr. Obert Moses Mpofu, Zimabawe's Mines and Mining Development Minister, are among the senior government representatives who have confirmed their participation in the Ninth Annual World Diamond Council Meeting to take place in Tel Aviv from May 5 to 6.

With just two weeks left before the opening of the meeting, the mining ministers from two leading diamond-producing countries will be among the guest speakers at the event.

The ministers will address the plenary meeting of the WDC. Other leading governmental figures include Jose W. Fernandez, U.S. Department of State Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs, Tung-Lai Margue, Head of the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments of the European Commission, and Ambassador Welile Nhlapo of South Africa, Chair of the Kimberley Process.

Shabangu is a determined supporter of the WDC's campaign to stamp out conflict diamonds. "The WDC has a significant role in implementing the rules and decisions adopted by Kimberley Process (KP) members and it must ensure that they are not simply left on paper but implemented by the diamond industry," she told the WDC Congress in Vicenza last year. "The partnership between governments, the diamond industry and civil society that the KP has created, enables us to announce proudly that more than 99% of stones in the diamond pipeline come from legitimate sources and are conflict-free," she added.

Minister Mpofu last month told the Dubai Diamond Conference that: "Zimbabwe is now focusing on the promotion of the collective effort of the KP." He also said that diamond operations and the potential of Zimbabwe will enable it to supply 25% of global rough diamond supply.

WDC President Eli Izhakoff said: "The presence of these two senior ministers from African diamond producing countries is highly important. The KP has always progressed thanks to debate between producing countries, producers, and consumer states, and not via confrontation. And that is the kind of cooperation that we would like to promote."