11 Apr 2016

 The public relations and communications manager at Debswana Jwaneng mine, Ms Montlenyane Baaitse has pleaded with Maboane residents to bear with her company if it takes too long to answer their pleas of assistance.

Speaking at the mine’s road show at the village, Ms Baaitse said this was because there were about 17 villages with a total population of about 30 000 in the periphery of the mining town of Jwaneng, all expectantly looking up to the mine to give back to them in one way or the other.

“However, we only have about P3.7 million annually as funds that are geared towards assisting these communities, and because our policy is to assist only with projects that benefit the whole community rather than individuals, the funds are too little to achieve many projects in a year,” she said.

She, however, admitted that it was important for her company to keep good relations with villages in the periphery of Jwaneng such as Maboane. She said some complaints by residents of such villages such as allegations that the mine reserves the best medication only for its employees was only because the people may not understand the policies and operations of the hospital.

“We have noted this and will ensure that proper communication is done to make sure that if such allegations were really true, corrective measures could be applied. She promised residents that she would follow up the issue of the local clinic which they said have long been promised by the mine.

Ms Baaitse was responding after Kgosi Kaisara Phuthego of Maboane complained that the mine usually takes long to fulfill promises they make to his village, citing the village clinic which he said the mine has long promised to construct.

He said the village even engaged the land board to allocate the clinic a plot in anticipation. Kgosi Phuthego, however, appreciated the assistance the mine has given to his village in the past, such as the donation of an ambulance, a caravan at the clinic as well as the playground at the local primary school. ENDS