09 Jul 2015

Diamond beneficiation is not one of the immediate opportunities identified for the Boteti Sub-district from the regional mapping study conducted in 2011.

Answering a question in Parliament, the Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Sadique Kebonang said in an endeavour to profile bankable projects, the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) had conducted a regional mapping study in town and district councils of Botswana in 2011 with the Boteti sub-district being one of the areas investigated alongside others.

Mr Kebonang explained that the study revealed that the area was laden with concentrated mining activities around the diamond sector at Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa mines, but was not identified for possible beneficiation in the immediate term.

“This is largely because infrastructure, such as a well-developed park with proper facilities which include fast internet access or ICT services, accommodation, diamond financing banks, insurance, one of the key enablers for diamond beneficiation is not well developed in the area,” he said.

He however said the region had potential for other opportunities such as wild-based tourism, archaeological based tourism and agriculture, especially cattle farming and manufacturing of leather products.

Mr Kebonang said BITC would continue to engage local authorities through the Local Economic Development (LED) initiative across the country in an effort to cultivate an attractive environment for the growth of multiple sectors across different regions of Botswana. 

That, he said would assist councils to identify sectors with competitive advantage and develop targeted ways of promoting investment into their localities.

Boteti East MP, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe had asked the minister what efforts his ministry had taken to encourage or motivate diamond beneficiation activities in the Boteti East constituency as to foster the economic growth of the area.  ENDS