Unearthing the roots of Namdeb – a brief history A shiny treasure starts a diamond rush Diamonds originated deep in the interior of southern Africa. Over millennia, the Orange River carried them to the Atlantic Ocean where they were deposited on ancient beaches, which in time became part of the mainland. Prior to the discovery of diamonds in the Namibian desert, some prospecting had taken place along the coast as early as 1863. David Christiaan, a Hottentot Chief, gave a Cape Town firm (De Pass, Spence and Company) a concession extending from Angra Paquena (Lüderitz) to the Orange River and 32 kilometres inland from the coast.
	In 1908, a railway worker Zacharia Lewala, stumbled on a shiny treasure that started a major diamond rush. As a result, diamond mining regulations were introduced in 1911 and the Sperrgebiet or “forbidden territory” was declared. The harvesting of diamonds in Namibia takes shape In 1920, Sir Ernest Oppenheimer formed Consolidated Diamond Mines of South West Africa (CDM) and, in 1923, CDM concluded the Halbscheid Agreement with the South West African Administration, which granted CDM the mining rights for the Sperrgebiet. Oranjemund, a unique town that owes its existence to diamond mining, was established in 1936. It adopted its name from its geographical position at the mouth of the Orange River, the national boundary between the Republics of Namibia and South Africa, and services the Mining Area 1 and Orange River mines. The birth of Namdeb In 1994, an agreement between CDM and the Government of the Republic of Namibian resulted in the formation of Namdeb Diamond Corporation (Pty) Limited. All of the De Beers group's existing Namibian mining licences and related rights were replaced by a consolidated and rationalised mineral agreement, drawn up under Namibia's post-independence mineral legislation. The formal signing ceremony, attended by Namibia’s Founding President Sam Nujoma and the then chairman of De Beers Centenary Julian Ogilvie-Thompson, took place at State House in Windhoek. The key wishes expressed on that historic day were that Namdeb: • would grow to become an important global player in the diamond industry; and • would continue to be the leading national provider of government revenue, foreign earner, employer, and setting benchmarks in respect of excellence