04 Dec 2019

Debswana Diamond Company is committed to the socio-economic development of Botswana, says  mineral resources, green technology and energy security minister, Mr Lefoko Moagi. 

Mr Moagi said the company had citizen economic empowerment and social performance programmes to deliver on its commitment.

Minister Moagi said through the programmes, Debswana’s Jwaneng Mine had projects geared towards both small micro and medium enterprises empowerment and enterprise development.

Member of Parliament for Kanye North, Mr Thapelo Letsholo had asked the minister how Debswana’s Jwaneng Mine was deliberately supporting and empowering local small, medium and micro-enterprises. He also asked what supplier and enterprise development initiatives the company had for the villages of Kanye, Moshaneng, Ranaka, Lekgolobotlo, Magotlhwane, Kgomokasitwa and Ntlhantlhe. He also asked on efforts made by the mine over the last five years to promote entrepreneurship, encourage farmers, women in business, youth entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs with disabilities.

Minister Moagi further said Debswana encouraged local procurement as there was a list of goods reserved for citizen-owned companies. He said advertisements for Debswana tenders were made explicit that citizen-owned companies were invited.

Over the last five years, Mr Moagi said Jwaneng mine had spent over P 3.5 billion on citizen-owned companies. “From January to October 2019 Jwaneng mine has spent over P793 million on procurement of goods and services from citizen-owned companies,” he said. He also added that Debswana was currently overhauling its Citizen Economic Empowerment Programme (CEEP) and would be implemented in 2020.

“Through local employment, Debswana encourages its contracted companies to give preference to Batswana in terms of employment and subcontracting opportunities,” said Mr Moagi. He said through supplier development programme, citizen-owned SMME were capacitated to effectively deliver Debswana projects.On enterprise development, Mr Moagi said the objective was to support the establishment of businesses that contributed to economic diversification and created alternative livelihoods to mining. He said the enterprise development programme was delivered through Tokafala programme, which was a partnership of Anglo American, De Beers and Debswana to offer comprehensive support to entrepreneurs.

He also said 100 youth from the Jwaneng area were trained in 2019 under Tokafala, a youth capacity building programme called Strengthening Youth Development through Enterprise (STRYDE)Under corporate social responsibility (CSR), Mr Moagi said Jwaneng mine had spent P3.75 million. He said part of the CSR funds were geared towards SMME and enterprise development. 

On the capacity building of local communities, Mr Moagi said Jwaneng mine had trained 100 women from the 10 villages including Sese, Maboane, Mokhomma, Samane, Tsonyane and Lefhoko.  He said Debswana’s socio-economic development programmes cut across all sectors of the economy and demographic profiles with particular emphasis on communities in the zones of influence. He said the villages of Sese, Maokane, Lefhoko, Tsonyane, Samane, Mokhomma, Maboane, Pitseng, Betesankwe, Mahotshwane and Seherelela were among the 23 villages under Jwaneng mine zone of influence.   

Therefore, minister Moagi said the villages of Moshaneng, Ranaka, Lekgolobotlo, Magotlhwane, Kgomokasitwa and Ntlhantlhe as cited in the question were not within the zone of influence.

Nonetheless, Mr Moagi said where feasible, Debswana was committed to supporting enterprise development even beyond the zones of influence. He said Debswana had supported the village of Kanye through various projects among them upgrading of Kanye kgotla with P5 million and donating funds towards the upgrading of a cultural heritage site through Tsosa Motse Trust.  In terms of employment, Mr Moagi said residents from Kanye were employed by Debswana’s Jwaneng Mine in various roles and were transported to and from Kanye on a daily basis by company buses.  

He also said Debswana has deliberate socio-economic development and citizen economic empowerment programmes promoting entrepreneurship and encouraging farmers, women in business, youth entrepreneurs and those with disabilities. ENDS