Gov’t, mining giants prepare communities for economic growth
But only NDP 11 budgeted projects will take place
Orapa Mine will be transformed to become a renewed source for further economic growth in the Boteti region, Parliament has been told.
Further, different Ministries are discussing how communities of Kanye North and Boteti district can be prepared to support the anticipated economic growth and population increase caused by the expansion of the respective Karowe, Jwaneng and Orapa mines.
However, some of the projects that the communities are looking forward to cannot be implemented now as they are not budgeted for under National Development Plan ( NDP) 11.
This notwithstanding, communities stand to gain handsomely through the mining giants’ Corporate Social Investment ( CSI) under their strategic themes of Healthcare, Livelihoods, Gender Equality and Education. When answering a question from Member of Parliament for Kanye North Thapelo Letsholo, Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, Lefoko Moagi said Debswana and Karowe mines do hold meetings, workshops and briefing updates with the relevant Ministries to discuss current and future requirements of their projects.
Moagi said Orapa Cut 3 project, which is currently at extended Pre- Feasibility- B stage, will see various mining sequences and production schedules being explored with the objective of delivering the most optimal business case for its implementation. It is Debswana’s vision that through the Cut 3 Project, Orapa mine will be transformed to become a renewed source for further economic growth in the Boteti region. As such, apart from the delivery of the Orapa Today, Boteti Tomorrow programme, Orapa will continue to deliver through its corporate social investment and legacy projects, even for the Cut 3 project. He said the Jwaneng Cut 9 which is still at waste stripping, has successfully transitioned to a hybrid mining model which is an ownermining operation with some of the key services being provided to Jwaneng mine by contractors/ service providers.
Already, this transition has borne outsourcing opportunities to the local business community covering various essential services, which include but not limited to; leasing agreement for equipment, Short- term and Long- term Small Drilling
Contracts, and other contracts for crushed rock, transporting employees, onsite catering and Camp Clinic, among others. Moagi revealed that Karowe mine has commenced the process to start underground mining and the envisaged economic impact for the local communities and the country are increased employment opportunities and citizen wealth creation throughout the entire project.
He said currently, the project employs about 450 people, and on a quarterly basis, the Mine makes updates to the Boteti Sub Council. Moagi said the budgetary process and financial constraints hamper government’s ability to prepare for the envisaged economic activity. However, it should be noted that in the context of what the impact of Cut 9 and Cut 3 will be on the aforesaid communities, Debswana continues to contribute immensely to both infrastructure development, as well as the upliftment of the livelihoods of the Jwaneng- Mabutsane and Boteti districts mining communities. He said the following major Cut 9 citizen economic empowerment initiatives are ongoing, the establishment of an Apprentice and Artisan Training Centre, a Component Rebuild Centre, which is expected to have matured into a self- sustaining business within three years and additional local business development initiatives. Moagi said through the Fixed Term Contracts ( FTC) process, Debswana Jwaneng Mine has a complement of 475 positions of which 440 have been filled and recruitment is ongoing for the remaining positions. An additional complement of 398 people is employed by Contractors. Therefore, the overall employment complement through FTCs, OEMs and Contractors stands at 873 employees. Previously, Majwe Mining had 617 employees inclusive of expatriates. Kanye North shall benefit by providing skilled, semi- skilled and unskilled labour to some of the projects in Jwaneng. Moagi said there are considerations for only projects that have been budgeted for. “It would therefore, be difficult to allocate financial resources for any projects outside the NDP 11, for fast tracking of refurbishing Kanye Public Hospital, Letlhakane Hospital, Schools upgrades, Internal roads construction and upgrades and Sewage reticulation. However, it should be noted that the sewerage reticulation project in Kanye, is ongoing”. He said despite this, Debswana has delivered and continues to deliver development focused projects through their CSI under strategic themes including Healthcare, Livelihoods, Gender Equality and Education. He said two hospitals in Jwaneng and Orapa provide services to over 160 000 community members per annum, delivery of COVID response programmes in collaboration with the District Health Management Teams, provision of PPE to 24 clinics in Jwaneng- Mabutsane and Boteti districts in 2020, and building of and upgrading clinics and hospitals around the Mines.
Debswana recently handed over Letlhakane Maternity Wing expansion and is in the process of concluding the construction of a clinic in Maboane, as well as provision of Anti- Retroviral Therapy to over 30 000 community members in Jwaneng- Mabutsane and Boteti districts.
Moagi said Debswana has been assisting Government Schools in Jwaneng- Mabutsane and Boteti districts through the Government Schools Development Programme, by training teachers in Science, Mathematics and English in order to improve performance in these areas.
Educational facilities around the Mines are also being refurbished such as the recent handover of classroom blocks in Sese and Machana in Jwaneng- Mabutsane. Moagi said the mine continues to support the delivery of Tokafala entrepreneurship development programme targeting SMMEs and Youth, collaborative partnership on the delivery of Debswana Citizen Economic Empowerment Programme and Development in improving uptake of STEM among female students to address challenges they face.
He said with the Karowe mine undertaking open pit operations, there is need for skills to fit the new envisaged underground operations and this requires a manpower skills transition plan which is currently being developed as the project progresses. A comprehensive plan will be completed in Q4 2021 as input information from mine design becomes available. Some of the CSI Projects carried out by Lucara Botswana include, refurbishment of Letlhakane Abattoir, Mokubilo Integrated Farm, Khwee Integrated Farm ( small stock and fodder production), financial sponsorship for the Boteti Regional Football League, donation of bus shelters in Makalamabedi, Motopi, Khumaga, Moreomaoto villages in Boteti West, sponsorship for Ghanzi Horticultural Association and Ramotswa Milling project - a maize planting, grain storage and milling project in partnership with Canada Africa Chamber of Business and Gamalete Development Trust in Ramotswa.