De Beers Control

Today the De Beers Mining Company is world-renounced and is one of the most powerful mining companies in the world. The company has almost total control over the South African territory they posses. The De Beers Company is in one way a self-governing area which no one can ask questions. I think that the De Beers Company in multiple ways acts like the church in the earlier days, because they have power over the government and the people in the area.

This company was founded in 1888 by Cecil Rhodes and now a days is one of the world’s most powerful diamond companies. The control which they posses in some ways can get out of hand and I think that if they continue to mine diamonds in these areas and the government allows them to have power that they will slowly take over the governments’ that gave them power in the first place. For example if you are to step foot on the diamond rich beaches which the De Beers Company owns you can be taken to prison and held under their terms and your release is their decision.

In my opinion the De Beers Company could easily take over the regions upon which they mine their precious diamonds. The company has an annual revenue stream of $6.5 billion U.S dollars and a net income of $556 million. With these massive numbers the company could easily buy weapons and slowly restrict the power of the governments. Considering the company has mines in Botswana and Namibia. These current governments are weak and at any time can be taken under the wing of De Beers for a price which they can easily shell out. With these companies under the control of De Beers they can branch out across Africa and extend their rule. All it would take is for the owners of De Beers to “flip a switch” and the siege would be on.

This situation relates to the past situation where the church would control the government because they had control over the people. With control of the people and government anyone could extend their cultural reach and easily become great. One thing that makes the De Beers Company a little shady is their old affiliation with blood diamonds or conflict diamonds. The company used to buy conflict diamonds in exchange for weapons which would be used to fight an ongoing civil war led by Jonas Savimbi in Angola. This conflict is important because the De Beers Company indirectly financed it even though the UN had peace contracts currently in those areas. After the mounting pressure from different organizations the company went “organic” and started mining their diamonds only.

Through out the next years we will have to see how the De Beers Company acts towards the situation they are in. Even though the company is looked upon as a good thing, I my opinion I think it could get out of control and spread like a disease through out Africa. I think the De Beers Mining Company should go public and be a public company so that all the power could be easily spread to the highest bidder.

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