17 Jan 2016

The government has stepped in to help diversify the operations of BCL Mine in a move to prolong the mine’s lifespan, says the MP for Selebi Phikwe East, Mr Nonofho Molefhi. 

Addressing a kgotla meeting at Ikageleng, Mr Molefhi, who is also the Minister of Infrastructure, Science and Technology, said his ministry and BCL Mine were conducting trials to establish whether coal from the mine could be processed to produce diesel and other products such as fertilizers and plastic.

He said the move had been initiated as one of the ways to diversify the mines operations and prolong its life. 

Mr Molefhi said although the project has the potential to prolong the lifespan of the mine and the town, to pursue the project would take time, and needed a lot of finance and people with relevant skills, knowledge and technology to realise the objective.

He said mining copper and nickel was getting deeper and expensive hence less mineral ore was being exhumed to be processed at the smelter.

He said this has resulted in the mine incurring more costs because the smelter operated under capacity yet at a high cost.  

The MP stated that the BCL Mine resorted to purchasing shares at Komati Mines in South Africa so as to transfer mineral ore from the South African mine to BCL Mine to augment ore mined locally. 

This was done so that the smelter could process the right capacity of mineral ore instead of working under capacity yet at a high cost.  

“This is one other way in which BCL Mine will prolong its existence,” he said.  

BCL, he said, had been experiencing depreciating prices of copper and nickel in the market while mining copper and nickel was expensive resulting in the mine running at a loss.

He also stated that the refurbishment of the smelter and other parts of the mine or ‘shut down’ posed challenges to the mine because when the initial budget was made, prices were low and stable but by the time the ‘shutdown’ project started, the prices changed resulting in BCL Mine pursuing the ‘shut down’ under budget. 

The mine, he said, had to divert funds earmarked for other purposes or operations in the mine to the ‘shut down’ project which left the mine in deeper financial challenges.

He said in order to alleviate BCL Mine from financial challenges, the government has linked up with commercial banks to request them to loan BCL Mine funds to continue with its operations and stay afloat while the government would remain a surety to the loans, he said. 

Regarding shortage of public officers’ accommodation, MP Molefhi stated that the government through the Economic Stimulus Programme would consider assisting departments to construct houses for employees. 

He said some unions have already bought plots to construct houses for public officers to rent or purchase. 

“This is one way to address civil servants accommodation and the government will always be available to assist,” he said.

 Mr Molefhi said the records of the recent heat wave experienced in the country were last recorded 150 years ago. 

He said global warming caused by pollution has led to climate change while pollution had affected the ozone layer resulting in excessive heat being experienced.

He said the excessive dry heat has impacted negatively on the environment and disturbed the life cycle of the mophane worm. 

He cautioned people who cut down trees including mophane, leaving the environment bare and prone to soil erosion and land degradation.

 “If we do not take care of our environment, things like the mophane worm will disappear  as it did sometime back around the 1950’s and re-appeared again in the late 1960’s and 70s,” he said.  

The MP also reminded residents that Botswana will be celebrating her 50 year anniversary this year. 

President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama launched the roving torch last year and the torch is expected to arrive in Selebi Phikwe around April. 

He called on all Batswana to play a role in the BOT50 celebrations. Ends