Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) says Namdeb plans to close four mines in the coming five years.
Mbidhi Shavuka, MUN Oranjemund Branch Chairperson told media that the union has started negotiating with Namdeb to save jobs.
“We also understand that it is the nature of the resource; diamonds are finite,” he said.
The mines to be shut down are Elizabeth Bay Mine at the end of next year, Daberas at the end of 2019, Sendelingsdrift in 2020 and the main one, Southern Coastal, in 2022, Shavuka said.
The shutdowns would be a severe blow to the Namibian economy, as diamonds account for around 20 percent of its foreign export earnings.
Namdeb appears to be concentrating on higher-value marine diamonds after launching the world’s largest diamond exploration ship in June to operate off the coast of Namibia since many land-based deposits are approaching depletion.