Lucara celebrates success
The underground Karowe Mine project is tipped to bring an investment value of USD 534 million ( equivalent to P6 billion). The project will further ensure a continued partnership with the government of Botswana. The ground breaking ceremony was done by President Mokgweetsi Masisi on Monday morning ahead of the company’s tenth anniversary ceremony held at the GICC later that day. Speaking during the Gala Dinner that marked the 10th anniversary of Lucara Botswana on Monday evening, Managing Director of Lucara Botswana, Naseen Lahri said this project will contribute towards the vision 2036 pillars. “You will see as I talk to you all, we talk about digitalization, innovation all geared towards the Vision 2036 which is very critical for us as an organization and as a country,” she said.
She further said that in the ten years that the company has been in operation, they have achieved many firsts and broken world records, and brought in technologies that have never been brought in anywhere in the world but in Botswana. “We are breaking diamond history, and we are breaking technology history. We are the game changers in this industry. We are the movers and shakers,” said Lahri. She further said that they have revolutionized sales in a way that no other Diamond operation has done so. She highlighted that they sell their diamonds on Clara Diamond Solutions, a digital platform where HB Partnerships is helping them achieve revenue numbers that they have never achieved before. Talking about the growth of the company, Lahri pointed out that they have grown from 86 people in 2012 to 2350, and that 98percent of their workforce are Batswana. “Thirty percent of the workforce are women. The markets stats in terms of employment of women in the mining sector is fifteen percent. That’s double the actual market,” explained Lahri, noting that this number is increasing, looking at the number of women who they interview. “That 30 percent is growing,” she said. According to Lahri what brings more joy to them is their impact investing projects in the communities in Boteti region and nationally. Lucara, she said, has provided clean water while