The diamond and cutting polishing industry has been badly affected by the downturn that the industry is facing globally, Namibia’s Minister of Mines and Energy Obeth Kandjoze said while speaking at the International Diamond Conference held in Windhoek earlier this week, according to reports in the local media.

The reports on the Conference quoted the minister and other senior governement officials as saying that while 2,000 workers were employed at the peak, currently the number has been reduced to just 700 workers. The minister is reported to have said that other countries in the region are facing a similar situation.

Speakers at the conference included senior ministers and officials from Namibia and other countries in the region, as well as industry leaders.

WFDB President Ernie Blom was reported to have said that currently only 300 people are employed in cutting and polishing in South Africa, though at peak the number had reached 4,500. He stressed the need for governments to work closely with the industry in various ways including ensuring sufficient supply of rough diamonds to the factories, the reports stated. He added that well-established cutting centres such as Israel, India and Belgium have received a lot of government support.