BARMINCO UNVEILS
KAVURU TRAINING CENTRE Last weekend, Perenti Group Limited through its subsidiary Barminco officially opened the country’s first ever fully fledged mining training center in Maun. The P20 million facility is called Kavuru Training Centre.
The center provides inductions, safety, equipment operator and maintenance training support to Zone Five (Khoemacau mine) and Sandfire Resources Motheo Copper Project which is situated in Ghanzi.
Vice President Slumber Tsogwane was the guest speaker at the event. Giving a synopsis of the Kavuru project, the expounded that centre was a result of November 2018 human resource agreement signed by government and Khoemacau management. That was after the company was awarded a mining licence to start mining copper in Toteng.
He highlighted that the agreement spelt out that Barminco and all its contractors must transfer skills to Batswana through a robust localisation and training plan.
“To facilitate this, it was agreed that training and development will include, secondment programs and apprenticeship programs. The apprenticeship programme was to be appropriate, relevant, with Botswana Qualification Authority (BQA) recognised facilities and similarly accredited courses,” he further explained.
Tsogwane emphasised that the state-of-the-art facility will help cement Maun’s credentials as the place of choice for people wanting to do business. In his address the VP further stated that the government is concerned about the pace of skills transfer to locals in different sectors of the economy.
He pointed out that most companies have beautifully written policies which do not correspond to what is happening on the ground in terms of empowering locals.
“I am enthralled by Barminco’s decision to construct this impressive facility that includes an artificial underground environment, and additional artisan trade simulators. It shows that the company is committed to empowering locals as well as ensuring that its policies tallies with what is happening on the ground.”
The VP also commended Barminco for training locals and from within the company’s locality or zone of influence, such as Toteng, Sehithwa, Legothwane, Bothatogo, Bodibeng, Somelo, and Komana. Tsogwane further urged Barminco consider training for the whole economy of Botswana and the Southern African region.
He also thanked, Kago Seselamarumo of Gxhabara Primary School, who came up with the name for the training center. Kavuru is a Shiyeyi name for the month of July.
Kavuru means winds in english. Seselamarumo said that the reasoning behind the name is that the school will bring winds of positive change in the mining industry.
Perenti general manager Ron Day told the gathering that since its inception in 2019 the center has trained above 600 people in various mining related fields. Of the 600, ten were women who were trained in operating heavy plant machines. They now operatee heavy plant machinery at Khoemacau.
Batawana regent Kgosi Kealetile Moremi stated that the facility will significantly contribute to the economic diversification in Ngamiland which is anchored by tourism activities. MP for Maun East Mr Goretetse Kekgonegile emphasised that Perenti should train more Batswana with its zone of influence to break the cycle of poverty.