By Jeremiah Ndjoze

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industries, Mines and Energy, Natangwe Ithete, this week, urged Namibians to maintain trust in local diamond marketing and sales company Namdia and commented the parastatal for its continued efforts to plough back into society. “I commend Namdia for its strong social responsibility efforts and urge all Namibians to remain confident and proud of this institution, which belongs to us,” said Ithete. 

“If there are areas that needs to be to improved, let us do so and continue to grow Namdia together without losing faith or confidence in its purpose,” he added.  The minister said this during a familiarisation tour to the State-owned-enterprise.  While building confidence is an ongoing skill that comes from a track record of accomplishment, Namdia has repeatedly been portrayed as having come short of achieving such feats. 

However, according to the company, over the past nine years it has fulfilled its mandate of serving as a price discovery mechanism for Namibian rough diamonds, consistently achieving prices above the national average, while contributing meaningfully to state revenue and social impact projects. 

The company’s board chairperson, Justus Hausiku, said Ithete’s visit to Namdia is “a meaningful step to deepen collaboration, alignment and shared purpose within the diamond value chain”. 

Hausiku further emphasised the steps taken to strengthen internal security systems, restore public trust and provide emotional support to staff, noting that “within these challenges lie real opportunities to reaffirm Namdia’s position as a trusted and resilient player in the global diamond trade.”