13 Feb 2019

Former BCL mine employee, Mr Justice Diole has cut a niche in the wielding business.

After losing his job following the closure of BCL mine in 2016, two things came into his mind, either to swim or drown and he chose the former.

He said he decided to use the skill he acquired to turn the lemons that life threw at him into lemonade.

“I am currently into welding business where I make braai stands, TV stands, sliding gates and many more welding products,” he said.

The full-time wielder with vast experience in the field is unyielding that wielding will turn his life around, as “many people in the area have so much interest in my products.”

He sells his products in Selebi Phikwe and surrounding areas.

As he started his business with the little money he had saved, Mr Diole said he now intends to look for financial assistance to expand it.

Mr Diole said since he started the business two years ago, life was not as harsh as it used to be, as he was able to put bread on the table to sustain his family.

The Tsetsebjwe-born encourages the business community and the Phikwe community to support his business.

Just like any other business, wielding comes with challenges notably the scarcity of materials, which he said forced him to source materials in far off areas.

He said the materials were also expensive compelling him to manufacture few products.

He said if he gets financial assistance, he would like to operate his business in an industrial area, rather than operating from home as it was currently the case.

“A business such as this requires enough space to operate, and also needs to be far away from the residential area to avoid issues of noise pollution,” he said.

Mr Diole, who dreams of becoming a reputable entrepreneur, encourages other former BCL employees to use their skills to establish businesses.

He also urged them to apply for financial assistance to open business to sustain their families, and also to come up with viable business projects that could help improve the economy of Selebi Phikwe. Ends