14 Aug 2013

A leather park project with a potential to create over 5 000 jobs will be developed in Lobatse, Parliament was told on Tuesday.

According to the Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr Nonofo Molefhi, who was responding to a question on behalf of the Minister of Trade and Industry, the project would cost an estimated P225 million.

“Lobatse Town Council has allocated a nine-hactare piece of land for the leather park, while we are in negotiations with potential financiers for the project,” Mr Molefhi explained. The MP for Lobatse, Mr Nehemiah Modubule had asked whether the Ministry of Trade and Industry had any plans in place to assist in reviving the economy of Lobatse.

Mr Molefhi also outlined that government had invested significantly in Lobatse through Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) which had two operating subsidiaries being Lobatse Clay Works and Can Manufacturing. He said the two companies employed 144 people.

He said in an endeavour to give impetus to the diversification efforts, the Ministry of Trade and Industry had identified a number of sectors for development under the Economic Diversification Drive, and two of the sectors were leather and dairy exploits.

“Under the dairy sector, there is a private sector-led initiative, pursued in collaboration with Lobatse Town Council, to set up a milk manufacturing plant in Lobatse. The project is expected to start with a production of about 12 million litres of milk per annum and create employment as well,” he said.

Furthermore, he said the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) had secured some plots in Lobatse for allocation to potential investors, while the ministry of Lands and Housing has secured 25 industrial and five commercial plots in Lobatse.

Additionally, the minister said the ministry of Education and Skills Development has extended its services to Lobatse community by providing Open and Distance Learning through BOCODOL. Ends