The world's leading diamond producing company by value and the largest company in Botswana will have a new managing director. The shareholders of Debswana Diamond Company (Pty) Limited have appointed Balisi Mohumi Bonyongo, currently the company's Chief Operations Officer, to take over as Managing Director when James Kitchener Gowans' tenure ends on December 31, 2013. Bonyongo's appointment will take effect from January 1, 2014.
Bonyongo was appointed as the managing director by the firm's shareholders, which include Anglo American's De Beers, who own the other 50 percent of Debswana shares. Bonyongo has worked for Debswana, the mining joint venture between De Beers and the government of Botswana for two decades in various professional and leadership abilities.