(IDEX Online) - Diamond miners are being allowed to resume operations in Lesotho, even though the country's coronavirus lockdown has been extended.
The tiny kingdom, landlocked by South Africa, is home to Gem Diamonds' Letseng mine (pictured), Lucapa's Mothae mine, and Namakwa Diamonds' Kao mine, but Firestone's Liqhobong mine is expected to remain closed for at least a year.
Lesotho's Prime Minister Thomas Thabane announced last week that a three-week lockdown would be extended by a further two weeks to 5 May, even though his country is one of just two in Africa with not a single recorded coronavirus infection. The other is Comros.
Gem Diamonds will begin a phased re-opening tomorrow (27 April) at Letseng, compliant with COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, and hopes to quickly reach full production again.
Letseng is known for its exceptional white diamonds, which have made it the highest dollar per carat kimberlite diamond mine in the world.