other prices on page 2· Thirion expose of Namibian diamond mining industry PUBLIC OUTCRY AHEAD BY KEVIN TOOLIS THE EXPLOSIVE Thirion Commission, which blows the lid off Namibia's diamond industry, is to be published today amid widespread local and interna­ tional interest, and will strongly recommend tighter controls on all future mining operations . The Thirion Report, completed last September, will be releas­ ed in the National Assembly this morning, and is bound to fuel public anger over the past 'over-exploitation' of Namibia 's once­ ~ucrative gem-stone diamond mines. Chaired by Natal Supreme Court values, of R434 per annum. That. Judge W P Thirion the Commission compares with an average annual in­ heard evidence from former come during the sixties of just employees of Consolidated Dia­ R262m . mond Mines who alleged that the De Income from the mine has now Beer's subsidiary had deliberately dropped to a low of RllOm per an­ decided to exhaust the mine before num and the ratio of profit to independence. operati:ng costs have risen 'A policy decision was taken in the dramatically as the mine now nears 1970s to take the bulk of the exhaustion. Even as early as 1987 it diamonds ahead of any international is expected to be classified as a settlement; said Gordon Brown, a 'marginal mine' and is expected to former technical assistant to CDM's close by 1994. General Manager from 1968 to 1983. In the light of this evidence Ju.dge As part of that policy, according Thirion, despite the outright hostil­ to Mr Brown, CDM installed four ty of De Beer's who refused to testify new crushing plants at the Oranje­ and have tried to suppress reports of mund mine and concentrated on ex­ its operations, is set to recommend . t racting the best and highest yielding far tighter controls of all future min­ diamond blocks as fast as possible. ing operations in Namibia and a total Revenue from the mine at the re-organisation of the incompetent THE SWATF this week announc­ height of the 'over-exploitation' and inefficient mining authorities ed the deaths of 39 Swapo in­ period during the Seventies rose by that presided over the diamond in- surgents in northern Namibia in a dramatic 66070 with an average pre­ various skirmishes. tax profit, in the equivalent 1986 Continued on page 2 * Picture of SWATF troops. WILL 'YOU ' " Controversial new PR officer FINDA Management changes at Tsumeb Corporation Easterbunnysurprisegg BY GWEN LISTER tomorrow, where such decisions would be taken. The Easter· Bunny is' at Woermann Brock. THE GENERAL Manager of He said that in the re-allocation of Tsumeb Corporation Limited management portfolios on the mine, (TCL) , Mr Bob Meiring, has Mr Botes had been appointed as Per­ In addition to bringing unique Easter Bun confirmed what he referred to as sonnel Manager; Mr E HOMeyer, a 're-allocation of management appointed as Manager of Metal Pro- specials, he has hidden a wonderful collection portfolios' on the Mine. duction; and Mr W J C Venter as of surpriseggs all over our supermarket! The mining town of Tsumeb Manager of Minerals Production. was this week rife with specula­ Tsumeb residents were curious me on over now - bring the whole family tion concerning the appointment Mr Bob Meiring. about the appointment ofMr Botes, to the . of Mr A J (Tony) Botes, promi­ who has been re-admitted to the Na­ nent white National Party of Chamber of Mines Chairman. tional Party following his walkout at EASTERBUNNYSURPRISEGGHUNT. member, to the position of Per­ It is believed that the 're­ the time that Mr Dirk Mudge left the allocation' and 'streamlining' of white National Party to form the sonnel and Public Relations management at TCL, as Mr Meiring Republican Party. Mr Botes, they say, Manager. put it, was a result of Mr Gevers' is deeply involved in National Party Mr Meiring, presently Chairman move to the Chamber of Mines. politics, and they find the appoint­ of the Chairman of Mines, would not Mr Meiring did confirm however, ment peculiar particularly in view of confirm that Mr R Gevers would be that the Annual General Meeting of the the ownership of the Mine, whieh leaving TCL to take up the position the Chamber of Mines wOuld be held is primarily United States-owned. WOERMANN BROCK & CO Only 14 detained - Security Police PO BOX 86 WINDHOEK TEL. 26232 BY CHRISTOPH SHIPANGA Brigadier Thomasse and not for in­ The Brigadier did, however, ex­ AND KEVIN TOOLIS definite periods. The total figure for plain the procedure used to inform detainees was just 14 and not 40 as the Cabinet of detentions in CHIEF of the Security Police previously asserted, he claimed. Namibia. In the case of both Article Brigadier Thomas Thomasse con­ The Security Poiice chief would Six and AG9 and AG26 the Police firmed this week that a total of 14 only confirm nine names on The had to approach the Cabinet to ex­ Namibians are being held in deten­ Namibian's detention list but he did tend the period of detention after 30 tion under Section 6. assert that all of the 14 detainees were days. People were only held in deten­ People wen; only detained for 'acts now being held under Section Six of tion until they had provided the of terrorism under investigation: said security legislation. Continued on page 2 '. 2 THE NAMIBIAN FRIDAY March 71986 WORLD FLASHES Republican Party 'open' at las,t BY STAFF REPORTER contain two legislative chambers in­ powers of the various provinces was ASSASSIN'S TRAIL.COLD cluding both a Senate and a Parlia­ a matter to beworked out by the Con­ THE REPUBLICAN Party, led by ment. The party did not support the stitutional Council. DTA leader Dirk Mudge, is to open ethnic form of government under Tnough as party leader Mr Mudge STOCKHOLM: Police were widely criticised over their handling of the its doors to all races and has adopted AG8 as a basis for future constitu­ said he was fully aware of the con­ Swedish Prime Minister, Mr Olof Palme's murder as the killer's trail grew a constitutional model based on a tional development. cerns Of some of his supporters par­ increasingly sold after the shooting. Western diplomats said the killing unitary state. Refusing to spell out the exact ticularly in the field of education and increasingly looked like the work of a small extr.emist group. Speaking to journalists in Win­ powers each institution in . the the 1985 Education Report: But he dhoek, Mr Mudge said the Republican Party constitutional said he had given his personal ALLEGED NAZI PAST Republican Party believed in a strong model, Mr Mudge said details would guarantee that there would be no unitary centralised government with be worked out through negotiation lowering of standards or any 'chaos'. devolved powers for provincial or and he did not want to 'show his Opening the doors ofthe party tc­ VIENNA: Former UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim has been ac­ regional authorities. hand'. all races was in line with its polici cused by a Jewish organisation of having been a member of Hitler's Such a government model would Similarly the delimitation of the of non-discrimination: Brown shirts. Mr Waldheim, who is standing as acandidate in Austria's presdiential elections, has denied the charges. .,..~. Goreangab Dam overflowing. MOSCOW SUMMIT THREAT WASHINGTON: President Reagan has threatened to boycott the 1987 Moscow Superpower Summit unless the Russians agree to American demands over the timing~ this June, of the proposed Washington Su'm­ mit. The Soviet Union wants to hold this year's Summit in September. CHINESE JAIL DEFECTOR PEKING: A Soviet pliot who hijacked a passenger plane' to China last December was sentenced to eight years in jail in the Chinese city of Har­ bin, Soviet sources said. BIRTHRATE EXPLOSION NAIROBI: Kenyan President Daniel Arap Moi called for farsighted plan­ ning to meet the challenge of a population expected to increase by 15 million by the year 2000 from a present estimate of 20 million. ISRAELI SHOOT-OUT High dam readings GOOD rains continued to fall ed at Citrusdal. The levels of dams The following are rainfall figures throughout the country this week shows a considerable rise with the as supplied by the hydrological divi­ TEL AVIV: Israeli soldiers shot and wounded a Palestinian demonstrator with rainfall figures record- Goreangab dam overflowing by 3 sionofthedepartmentofWater Af­ after opening fire to disperse stone-throwing protestors in the occupied \ ....-- ....-----------. percent. fairs for the period March 3 to West Bank city of Nablusafter the emotional funeral of the town's 08.00 hours yesterday. assassinated mayor, Mr Zafer Al Masri. Detainees Citrusdal 84.1 mm. Halali 0.0 mm Swakoppoort 76.4 HOSTAGE MURDERED Continued from page 1 Windhoek 34.2 mm Kainanjab 14.5 mm Omatako 74. authorities with 'satisfactory infor­ Okaukuejo 12.0 mm Outjo 10.4 mm Avis 52.9 mation'. After that we 'let them go', Grootfontein 7.1 mm Otjiwarongo 10.5 mm Tilda Viljoen 22.9 BEIRUT: The radical Islamic Jihad group says it has executed French he said. Rundu 34.3 mm Ombika 50.6 mm Otjivero 55.3 hostage Michel Seurat to protest again ~ t France's Middle Eastern policy. The Brigadier said that all of peo- ' Strydom 54.9 mm Otjovazandu 6.0 mm Naude64.l - pIe whose names appeared in the Omaruru 39.5 mm Dordabis 4.1 mm Friedenau 67.4 MARCOS MONEY DEMAND detentions list of The Namibian Hardap 12.9 mm Usakos 16.0 mm Von Bach 82.3 (issue number 22 of February 7, Tsumeb 46.5 mm Rietfontein 15.0 Goreangab 100 1986) were released except for Mr Rehoboth 16.0 mm Aroab 20.0 mm Daan Viljoen 4.7 ROME: Philippine Cardinal Jaime Sin has said deposed President Fer­ Paddy Mwazi, Mr Charles Sinvula, Stampriet 45.0, mm Aranos 4.0 mm Otjivero Main 59.8 dinand Marcos should be made return money and valuables he took with Mr Ndeuka Rehabeam Nakatana, Leonardville 35.5 mm Bethanie 4.5 mm Hardap 48.8 him when he fled into exile last week .