De Beers donated the Harry Oppenheimer House (HOH) in Kimberley to the Sol Plaatje University (SPU) during an event at the 14-storey building on Friday, 24 November.
This follows the January 2023 relocation of De Beers’ Sightholder Sales business to Johannesburg. The building was in operation since 1974 and used to sort diamonds.
The SPU will keep the building’s name and dedicate one storey to a diamond sorting museum.
The move will free up his and other offices in the Luca Jantjies building for other administrative personnel, and the Centre for Continuous Professional Development that is driving the university’s short course platform.
“We have over 4 000 students and 600 staff members. One day, we will have 20 000 students. We receive 38 000 good-quality applications each year from all over the country. The SPU is known for its advanced data science programmes.
“The donation will help us grow. We will open a geology faculty in 2025, that might transform into mine engineering.” He hopes De Beers will play a role in this project.
“We are establishing an agricultural faculty next year, which is important for food security in a water-stressed environment.”
He says the university, which is turning ten years old next year, has transformed Kimberley from a mining city to a university city.
Northern Cape premier, Dr Zamani Saul, said one must not be uncritical of good deeds.
“When De Beers left Kimberley, it had a massive, negative impact on the economy. Exploitation and extraction must be mitigated. The building could be converted into a faculty for mine engineering, funded by De Beers. The Council of Geoscience has in the past three years spent more than 50% of their budget with explorations here. With more than 60 minerals in the province, we can mine for 100 years.”
There is abject poverty and associated social problems in the John Taole Gaetsewe (JTG) district where there are 36 manganese and iron ore mines. Saul describes it as a tragedy.
Moses Madondo, managing director of the De Beers group’s managed operations, says De Beers is still investing and contributing.
He mentioned that the Canadian government is extremely accommodating and “pleading” to have De Beers operating in the Manitoba province.
“They recognise our value and what we can bring. Remember that investment follows where it is not too complicated to set up operations. Diamonds were in Kimberley for millions of years, but companies like De Beers created an economy around it and created value.
“By donating this building to the SPU, we have invested in a human sparkle and help to create a long-term future for young students. The donation will have a long-lasting impact on the future of the province by supporting the development of young people through education – one of De Beers’ key sustainable development priorities.”
