Maurice Tempelsman remembered for shaping Namibia’s diamond industry

Belgian-American diamond tycoon Maurice Tempelsman will be remembered in Namibia for shaping the country’s diamond industry, his relationship with the country’s first president Sam Nujoma, and befriending African dictators.

The diamond czar died in New York on Saturday at the age of 95.

Tempelsman was especially instrumental in linking Nujoma with international diamond giant De Beers executives, laying the groundwork for the creation of Namdeb, a partnership with the Namibian government.

Tempelsman has long prompted controversy, amid allegations that he was involved in the 1960s coup against Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah.

He was allegedly also involved in facilitating support for tyrant Mobutu Sese Seko in what became the Democratic Republic of Congo and in maintaining close ties with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Tempelsman maintained close connections to Namibia after cementing close ties with Namibia’s liberation fighters and political leadership.

In 2022, the tycoon met president Hage Geingob on the margins of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Economist Robin Sherbourne says Nujoma’s book ‘Where Others Wavered’ indicated that Tempelsman was instrumental in bringing Nujoma together with De Beers executives prior to independence, and that this helped lay the groundwork for the creation of Namdeb.

“He profoundly influenced the diamond sector in Namibia, I think generally for the better,” Sherbourne told The Namibian yesterday.

Tempelsman chaired the global diamond powerhouse Lazare Kaplan International until the time of his death.

The economist said Lazare Kaplan assisted NamGem Diamond Manufacturing Company and even became a joint owner with the government before selling it to Namib Desert Diamonds (Namdia).

Tempelsman was the companion of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis for more than a decade until her death in 1994.

Onassis was the widow of former United States president John F Kennedy.

THE FIXER

Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda holds a PhD on the history of diamond mining in Namibia.

“The story of Maurice is an interesting one – from his intricate relations with De Beers to how he related with the Namibian political elite,” Amupanda said yesterday.

He said Tempelsman was able to “contain and neutralise our leaders not to take decisive decisions on our diamonds”.

“He not only maintained relations with the late president Hage Geingob, but started with president Sam Nujoma. The story of underground diamond mining and negotiations in Namibia is incomplete without his name,” he said.

“Whether his death will bury his enigmatic operations or will become more open, remains to be seen.”

Phil ya Nangoloh has in the past ventilated the Nujoma-Templesman connection.

He has claimed that apartheid authorities had let Nujoma go in 1966 because they preferred him as Swapo’s leader over more communist elements.

‘COLD WAR MANOEUVRES’

Ya Nangoloh believes Tempelsman was more than just a diamond trader, portraying him as a key figure in Cold War manoeuvres across Africa.

In her 2007 book ‘Glitter and Greed: The Secret World of the Diamond Cartel’, British investigative journalist Janine Roberts reproduces a letter allegedly written by Tempelsman to Nujoma offering a loan of N$500 million or more if the government dropped plans for independent checks of the prices De Beers paid Namibia for diamond exports.

The plan was quietly shelved.

Former minister of mines and energy Isak Katali, who led the mining ministry from 2010 to 2015, yesterday said he does not have any insights of Tempelsman’s role in the diamond industry.

“The time when I came in as a minister, the diamond industry had been established, and if Tempelsman was there at the beginning, I missed the opportunity.

“However, I met him but not frequently and I cannot really say he did what or he did not do what. I only knew he was involved in some diamond cutting at Okahandja and basically that is it. I do not have any insights on Tempelsman,” he said.

Swapo leader Helmut Angula was the deputy ministry of mines and energy in 1990 when the government was negotiating with De Beers.

Angula told The Namibian yesterday that Tempelsman was a strong businessman with contacts, and they assumed Tempelsman had a relationship with the De Beers group.

“When we took over as an independent sovereign state, we decided on our own to negotiate with De Beers.

NEGOTIATIONS

“Originally, our policy was for the diamond industry to become state owned, but with time we realised it was difficult to take control of such a large industry. The havoc they were creating in Sierra Leone and in Congo made us settle for the minimum,” he said.

“He came here to participate as a potential buyer with an interest in diamonds, pretending not to be part of the De Beers family, and we needed independent buyers. May his soul rest in peace. He was helpful to his country and to the diamond industry,” Angula said.

“We listened to him and his proposals, not only for diamonds to be marketed through De Beers, but also through other sources, and we did that. We give him credit for participating in the diversification of diamond marketing instead of it being controlled by one agency.”

Angula said Tempelsman’s relationship with Nujoma did not have any bearing on the restructuring of Namibia’s diamond industry.

“Otherwise, he would have had a monopoly,” he said. “But it cannot be denied that Nujoma knew him. They had a well-established connection in the US political establishment. Swapo had many influential people and congressional lobbyists in the US, and Tempelsman was just one of the Americans involved in lobbying. There were more radical groups than him,” he said.

‘A FRIEND OF NAMIBIA’

Former prime minister Nahas Angula yesterday described Tempelsman as “a friend of Namibia”, who combined his business interests with a genuine concern for the country’s independence.

He said it is sad to learn about his death.

“He was a friend of Namibia and helped in many ways, assisting Swapo to gain recognition among leaders in the United States,” he said.

“He was a diamond trader but also a supporter of our independence. When he came to Namibia, he would call just to say hello. When I was in New York, he extended his hospitality to me. We join his family in extending our sympathies and condolences,” Angula said. Tempelsman’s connections to Namibia date back to the early years of independence.

He was a close ally of Nujoma, and at one point helped establish a diamond polishing plant at Okahandja.

His Namibian business partner was the late Aaron Mushimba, Nujoma’s brother-in-law and one of the country’s prominent empowerment magnates.

However, some critics viewed his relationship with Nujoma as an influence to the diamond-related policy decisions.

Angula defended Nujoma stating that his relationship with the founding president was not of concern.

“He was a good friend of Nujoma and at one time set up a diamond polishing company at Okahandja. He was a decent man, he had his interest in Namibia. He was a diamond producer and trader and the relationship with Nujoma is not a matter of concern,” he said.

Angula has a soft spot for diamond merchants.

The Africa-America Institute, which was led by Tempelsman as chairperson, said it supported Angula’s education.

Angula is an alumni of this institute. Press secretary Jonas Mbambo describes Tempelsman a well-known international diamond dealer whose business connections also reached Namibia.

Mbambo says like many foreign actors in the industry at the time, his role was part of a wider and more complex history of how the diamond sector evolved during and after the liberation struggle.

“Namibia’s diamond industry, however, has always been defined first and foremost by the efforts of its own people, institutions and leaders who worked to ensure that this natural resource benefits the country. His involvement forms only one chapter in that broader story,” he said.

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