The Who’s Who of Namibia’s gem industry

NAMIBIA’S list of licensed diamond buyers and cutters include the likes of former National Youth Council acting Secretary General Ralph Blaauw, Telecom Namibia CEO Frans JP Ndoroma, Windhoek Mayor Matthew Shikongo, and Dantagob Gurirab.

The Namibian on Friday revealed how the Sicilian Mafia via the Palazzolo family appeared to have obtained a foothold in Namibia’s diamond cutting industry by using front companies to buy out an existing but unused diamond buying licence and a cutting and polishing licence. LINKS DENIED Zackey Nujoma, former President Sam Nujoma’s son who acts as director for the two front companies Avila and Marbella Investments (Pty) Ltd, denied any knowledge of an organised crime link.”It’s an old CIA story,” he said of Vito Palazzolo’s alleged position as the Mafia’s top money launderer.A total of eight buying licences and 18 cutting and polishing licences have been granted since the Diamond Act (Act 13 of 1999) was passed, the latter large number apparently prompting the Ministry of Mines and Energy to declare a moratorium on new licence applications at the end of February.THE ACTIVE AND INACTIVE Diamond Commissioner Kennedy Hamutenya said apart from the buying licences granted to De Beers-Namdeb, in order for them to be able to trade their own production with the London-based Diamond Trading Company (DTC), all the other buying licences have remained inactive.De Beers holds two buying licences – one via Diamdel (Pty) Ltd and another via Prime Trading (Pty).The international diamond giant also appears to indirectly hold a cutting licence via one L Khalfine of Namgeology Prospecting and Mining, whose given address is that of Namdeb’s Windhoek headquarters (10th Floor, Namdeb Centre).Ndoroma is the largest single shareholder in Reign Investments, which company also includes a number of former Namdeb employees such as Gavis Enkara and Jakes Mbandi.Well-placed sources in London said Reign Investments appears to be in business with Dantagob and Hangane Gurirab, sons of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab.Dantagob Gurirab (the elder son) also holds a cutting licence via Gemexcel, a subsidiary of the Songa Group, about which little is known, which is situated on the 10th Floor of Sanlam Building.Hangane Gurirab, the younger brother of Dantagob, is the Human Resources Manager in Namibia of Israeli tycoon Lev Leviev’s LLD Diamonds.Leviev is reportedly planning to list his African diamond interests on the Namibian and Johannesburg Stock Exchanges.Mayor Shikongo’s company Gem Expert (Pty) Ltd was one of the original licensees, which also included Swapo-owned Kalahari Holdings (Pty) Ltd.Former acting National Youth Council secretary general (and senior Swapo Youth League member) Blaauw, who fell from grace in the wake of the Avid scandal, is the representative for Tornado Enterprises, also one of the original licensees.Oryx Diamonds, a company associated with Zimbabwe’s military company OSLEG and which attempted an ill-fated listing via Petra Diamonds on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment market in 2000, is also amongst the licensed diamond cutting and polishing outfits.Oryx Diamonds reportedly held a US$1 billion (N$7,2 billion) diamond concession in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which saw it cited by a United Nations Panel of Experts in a report on the plundering of that country’s mineral resources in 2001 and 2002.* John Grobler is a freelance journalist: 081 240 1587 Companies issued with diamond buying licences 1. Avila Investments – 3rd Floor BPI house, Windhoek Contact person: Zackey Nujoma 2. Diamdel Namibia (Pty) Ltd – 6th floor, Namdeb Centre Contact person: None given 3. Gems Expert (Pty) Ltd – 4th Floor, Maerua Mall Contact person: Matthew Shikongo 4. LLD Diamonds Namibia (Pty) Ltd – Northern Industrial Area, Windhoek Contact person: K Kapwanga – CEO 5. Nam-Diamond Trading (Pty) Ltd – No address given Contact person: John Barnes – CEO (Lazare Kaplan International) 6. Nam-Rough (Pty) Ltd – No address given (Namcot) Contact person: O Temkin – CEO (Steinmetz – Belgium) 7. Prime Trading (Pty) Ltd – 4th & 6th Floor, Namdeb Centre Contact person: No contact given 8. Kalahari Holdings (Pty) Ltd – Bismarck Street, Windhoek Contact person: Mr Shangula Companies issued with diamond cutting and polishing licences 1. Askor Industries (Pty) Ltd – No address given (Karibib) Contact person: V Osiiuk 2. Centreville Namibia (Pty) Ltd – No given address (Long Beach, CA) Contact person: P Sagaspe 3. Clearstone Namibia (Pty) Ltd – No address given Contact person: Forrest Branch 4. Hardstone Processing (Pty) Ltd – No address given Contact person: B Seber 5. LLD Diamonds Namibia (Pty) Ltd – Northern Industrial, Windhoek Contact person: K Kapwanga 6. Nam-Diamond Corporation – No address given Contact person: Andrew Clocanas 7. Mars Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd – 76 Circumferential Rd, Walvis Bay Contact person: A Popovich 8. Namcot Diamonds (Pty) Ltd – Northern Industrial, Windhoek Contact person: Benjamin Narcyz (Steinmetz) 9. Marbella Investments (Pty) Ltd – 3rd Floor, BPI House Contact person: Zackey Nujoma 10. Namidiam (Pty) Ltd – 195 Robert Mugabe Avenue, Windhoek Contact person: Basil Bloch 11. NamGem Manufacturing – Industrial Park, Okahandja Contact person: E Hawala 12. Namgeology Prospecting and Mining (Pty) Ltd – 10th Floor, Namdeb Centre Contact person: L Khalfine – General Director 13. Gemexcel (Pty) Ltd – 10th Floor, Sanlam Centre, Windhoek Contact person: Dantagob Gurirab (Songa Group Holdings) 14. Tornado Enterprises (Pty) Ltd – No address given Contact person: Ralph Blaauw / R Sarjoo 15. Oryx Diamonds (Pty) Ltd – Alexander Forbes Building, Windhoek Contact person: Mr Etan (Israeli) 16. Dinamo Diamonds (Pty) Ltd – No address given Contact person: Elie Perez (MD) 17. Reign Investments (Pty) Ltd – No address, except Ndoroma’s P.O.Box Contact person: Frans JP Ndoroma (chairman) 18. Westeria Investments 13 (Pty) Ltd – 62 Calcium Street, Prosperita, Whk.Contact person:Alain PeterfreundLINKS DENIED Zackey Nujoma, former President Sam Nujoma’s son who acts as director for the two front companies Avila and Marbella Investments (Pty) Ltd, denied any knowledge of an organised crime link.”It’s an old CIA story,” he said of Vito Palazzolo’s alleged position as the Mafia’s top money launderer.A total of eight buying licences and 18 cutting and polishing licences have been granted since the Diamond Act (Act 13 of 1999) was passed, the latter large number apparently prompting the Ministry of Mines and Energy to declare a moratorium on new licence applications at the end of February. THE ACTIVE AND INACTIVE Diamond Commissioner Kennedy Hamutenya said apart from the buying licences granted to De Beers-Namdeb, in order for them to be able to trade their own production with the London-based Diamond Trading Company (DTC), all the other buying licences have remained inactive.De Beers holds two buying licences – one via Diamdel (Pty) Ltd and another via Prime Trading (Pty).The international diamond giant also appears to indirectly hold a cutting licence via one L Khalfine of Namgeology Prospecting and Mining, whose given address is that of Namdeb’s Windhoek headquarters (10th Floor, Namdeb Centre).Ndoroma is the largest single shareholder in Reign Investments, which company also includes a number of former Namdeb employees such as Gavis Enkara and Jakes Mbandi.Well-placed sources in London said Reign Investments appears to be in business with Dantagob and Hangane Gurirab, sons of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab.Dantagob Gurirab (the elder son) also holds a cutting licence via Gemexcel, a subsidiary of the Songa Group, about which little is known, which is situated on the 10th Floor of Sanlam Building.Hangane Gurirab, the younger brother of Dantagob, is the Human Resources Manager in Namibia of Israeli tycoon Lev Leviev’s LLD Diamonds.Leviev is reportedly planning to list his African diamond interests on the Namibian and Johannesburg Stock Exchanges.Mayor Shikongo’s company Gem Expert (Pty) Ltd was one of the original licensees, which a
lso included Swapo-owned Kalahari Holdings (Pty) Ltd.Former acting National Youth Council secretary general (and senior Swapo Youth League member) Blaauw, who fell from grace in the wake of the Avid scandal, is the representative for Tornado Enterprises, also one of the original licensees.Oryx Diamonds, a company associated with Zimbabwe’s military company OSLEG and which attempted an ill-fated listing via Petra Diamonds on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment market in 2000, is also amongst the licensed diamond cutting and polishing outfits.Oryx Diamonds reportedly held a US$1 billion (N$7,2 billion) diamond concession in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which saw it cited by a United Nations Panel of Experts in a report on the plundering of that country’s mineral resources in 2001 and 2002. * John Grobler is a freelance journalist: 081 240 1587 Companies issued with diamond buying licences 1. Avila Investments – 3rd Floor BPI house, Windhoek Contact person: Zackey Nujoma 2. Diamdel Namibia (Pty) Ltd – 6th floor, Namdeb Centre Contact person: None given 3. Gems Expert (Pty) Ltd – 4th Floor, Maerua Mall Contact person: Matthew Shikongo 4. LLD Diamonds Namibia (Pty) Ltd – Northern Industrial Area, Windhoek Contact person: K Kapwanga – CEO 5. Nam-Diamond Trading (Pty) Ltd – No address given Contact person: John Barnes – CEO (Lazare Kaplan International) 6. Nam-Rough (Pty) Ltd – No address given (Namcot) Contact person: O Temkin – CEO (Steinmetz – Belgium) 7. Prime Trading (Pty) Ltd – 4th & 6th Floor, Namdeb Centre Contact person: No contact given 8. Kalahari Holdings (Pty) Ltd – Bismarck Street, Windhoek Contact person: Mr Shangula Companies issued with diamond cutting and polishing licences 1. Askor Industries (Pty) Ltd – No address given (Karibib) Contact person: V Osiiuk 2. Centreville Namibia (Pty) Ltd – No given address (Long Beach, CA) Contact person: P Sagaspe 3. Clearstone Namibia (Pty) Ltd – No address given Contact person: Forrest Branch 4. Hardstone Processing (Pty) Ltd – No address given Contact person: B Seber 5. LLD Diamonds Namibia (Pty) Ltd – Northern Industrial, Windhoek Contact person: K Kapwanga 6. Nam-Diamond Corporation – No address given Contact person: Andrew Clocanas 7. Mars Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd – 76 Circumferential Rd, Walvis Bay Contact person: A Popovich 8. Namcot Diamonds (Pty) Ltd – Northern Industrial, Windhoek Contact person: Benjamin Narcyz (Steinmetz) 9. Marbella Investments (Pty) Ltd – 3rd Floor, BPI House Contact person: Zackey Nujoma 10. Namidiam (Pty) Ltd – 195 Robert Mugabe Avenue, Windhoek Contact person: Basil Bloch 11. NamGem Manufacturing – Industrial Park, Okahandja Contact person: E Hawala 12. Namgeology Prospecting and Mining (Pty) Ltd – 10th Floor, Namdeb Centre Contact person: L Khalfine – General Director 13. Gemexcel (Pty) Ltd – 10th Floor, Sanlam Centre, Windhoek Contact person: Dantagob Gurirab (Songa Group Holdings) 14. Tornado Enterprises (Pty) Ltd – No address given Contact person: Ralph Blaauw / R Sarjoo 15. Oryx Diamonds (Pty) Ltd – Alexander Forbes Building, Windhoek Contact person: Mr Etan (Israeli) 16. Dinamo Diamonds (Pty) Ltd – No address given Contact person: Elie Perez (MD) 17. Reign Investments (Pty) Ltd – No address, except Ndoroma’s P.O.Box Contact person: Frans JP Ndoroma (chairman) 18. Westeria Investments 13 (Pty) Ltd – 62 Calcium Street, Prosperita, Whk.Contact person:Alain Peterfreund