Kimberley diamonds

With the discovery of the Kimberly diamonds and other precious minerals, such as gold, from the 1860s to the 1880s, South Africa faced an unprecedented influx of European immigrants who started to exploit the land. Some indigenous people such as the Girqua were forced to work in mines and on plantations for white landowners. African landownership in South Africa was confined to “native reserves,” which became the model for most of colonial Africa. Tragically, black market trade of these diamonds and other natural resources have fueled devastating conflicts across the continent. In 2003 the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme was set up to prevent the trade of African “blood diamonds.” More than 50 countries have since accepted the system.