Debswana Delivers Cruel Fate to Children of Botswana’s Miners

While the legal proceedings for over 400 sacked miners at Debswana diamond operations in Botswana continue on hold, the fate of their children’s education hit a sad, cruel end. Debswana, jointly owned by DeBeers and the government of Botswana, has dismissed from company sponsored schools the children of those who participated in a strike last August. The company does allow children of others from the mining areas to attend on a private-school fee basis. “Management has now turned to the cruellest form of torture methods in hitting where it hurts most, children,” stated Chimbidzani Chimidza, national chairman of the Botswana Mining Workers’ Union.