World
Botswana diamond slump leaves workers stranded as global demand dries up
Botswana's diamond-dependent economy is under severe strain as global demand weakens and output falls sharply, leaving thousands of workers jobless, drowning in debt, and struggling to survive. Layoffs at the Debswana mine have triggered a cascade of hardship, with workers like Motshwegwa Rakhudu facing sudden unemployment, mounting debt, and little hope of finding comparable work. The downturn has exposed the risks of over-reliance on a single industry, prompting calls for faster economic diversification into agriculture, tourism, and technology.