this are a decrease in ore grade as the mine's richer deposits were worked out, loss of skilled foreign management and engineering staff, a bloated labor force resulting from government employment efforts, and inadequate capital investment in the mine's equipment. Perhaps as a result of this poor performance, Tanzania invited De Beers to purchase back into the mine, which the company did. In 1994 De Beers bought 75% of the Williamson mine, with Tanzania retaining the remaining shares. Since 1994, De Beers has acted to improve the performance of the Williamson diamond mine by trimming the work force, making capital investment in equipment, and bringing in expertise in technology, technique, and exploration. Although the mine is still viewed as a marginal performer due to its low ore grade, De Beers has identified avenues for development that would keep the mine operating into the future. In September 2008, Petra Diamonds Ltd agreed to acquire the Williamson Mine from De Beers and completed the acquisition in February 2009. In April 2020, the mine was mothballed after the collapse of diamond prices. Although in February 2021 Petra & the Tanzanian Government entered discussions to reopen the mine in Q4 2021, but that did not happen. In September 2021 Petra announced that it was seeking a buyer for the mine. Confirming news reports from March, when the company prospectus described the mine as permanently closed. Recreation The mine was equipped with a range of sporting facilities. These included public swimming pool, tennis and squash courts, soccer field, athletics track, golf course and yacht club. There was also a surgical hospital staffed by two English and an Indian doctor and nursing staff. The hospital used to treat the mine employees for free, and poor people from neighbouring areas could take treatment there at nominal charges. These facilities fell into disrepair after the colonial era, but remain partly maintained by the mine. Incidents 2020 human rights allegations A lawsuit against for human rights violations by guards was filed in May 2020 in the High Court of England and Wales. NGO RAID claimed evidence of harm by contracted guards who shot locals on the concession, including 10 killings and 50 injuries since 2009. Following the report, Petra Diamon initiated an internal investigation. Initial internal investigations found record of only one live-fire incident during the alleged window, alongside other use of "reasonable force" against illegal miners. References Sources