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The decision to continue the closure of Damtshaa Mine this year was informed by the Debswana Diamond Company production budget, which will be at 60 per cent relative to 2008 levels.Answering a question from Boteti North MP, Mr Slumber Tsogwane, the Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Mr Ponatshego Kedikilwe said production budgets were set to align mine output with market demand.Mr Tsogwane had asked the minister what informed the closure of Damtshaa Mine and when other companies other than De Beers intended to start operations in the small mines around Letlhakane.He further wanted the minister to say when he intended resuming the mining of diamonds at all the closed mines.However, Minister Kedikilwe said he appreciated the care with which Mr Tsogwane noted the distinction between intending to start operations in small mines and the timing of such operations.He noted that all non De beers operations around Letlhakane were unlikely to start production this year.

AK06, he said, was planned to start operations during the first half of next year but his ministry had not yet received a mining licence application from Firestone Diamonds for BK11 deposit.Meanwhile, Mr Kedikilwe said an impression should not be created that the minister of minerals, solely determined the resumption or otherwise of any mining operations. He explained that there were no definitive dates for resumption of operations at Damtshaa and Lerala Mines.Damtshaa mining operations will resume after the recovery of the diamond market to a level where Debswana mines will be producing at full capacity. He, however, said Lerala mine was under judicial management, and undergoing a restructuring progress.