Lerala

Lerala is a village in Central District of Botswana. The village is located 30 km from the Limpopo River and the border with Zimbabwe and approximately 90 km east of Palapye. The population of Lerala was 5,747 in 2001 census. [cite web
url=http://www.cso.gov.bw/html/census/dist50.html
title=Distribution of population by sex by villages and their associated localities: 2001 population and housing census
accessdate = 2008-01-20]

An Australian company, DiamonEx Limited, is planning to open a diamond mine 15 km north-west of the village. The mine also known as Martins Drift Diamond Project is scheduled to open early 2008 and will employ 230–290 people to produce an estimated 330,000 carats (66 kg) per year. [cite web
url=http://www.abnnewswire.net/press/en/44155/DIAMONEX-LIMITED.html
title=Diamonex Limited Acquires Kimberlite Pipes In USA
publisher="ABN Newswire"
accessdate=2008-01-20] [cite news
last=Modikwa|first=Onalenna
url=http://www.mmegi.bw/2006/May/Monday22/236196382442.html
title=Production To Begin On Martins Drift Next Year
work=Mmegi Business Week
date=2006-05-22
accessdate=2008-01-21] Previously a joint company between De Beers and the Botswana government operated between 1998–2001 a smaller exploratory diamond mine at the same site. [cite web
url=http://www.gov.bw/cgi-bin/news.cgi?d=20011210&i=Lerala_mine_closes
title=Lerala mine closes
publisher="Botswana Press Agency (BOPA)"
accessdate=2008-01-20]

References