06 Mar 2022

Lucara Botswana’s continued commitment to partnering with local communities for the development and establishment of sustainable income generating projects is commendable. Vice President Mr Slumber Tsogwane said this Saturday at the official opening of Mmadikola Multipurpose Cooperative Society’s hardware. 

The hardware comprises refurbished Village Development Committee buildings, whose project funding to the tune of P600 0000 came through Lucara supported Karowe Village Initiatives programme. 

Mr Tsogwane urged the community to take ownership of projects to ensure they were sustainable beyond Lucara Botswana’s existence in Boteti. 

He noted that the decision by Lucara Botswana to promote community development underpinned government’s initiatives of citizen economic empowerment. 

Government’s resolve, he said, was to reach out to as many Batswana as possible, through cooperatives as one of the vehicles through which poverty could be eradicated, employment created and financial inclusion realised. 

The hardware store would contribute towards employment creation in the village, he said. 

The VP noted opportunities would increase as the business grew, adding rural transformation was critical in the realisation of the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. 

Mr Tsogwane expressed concern that most cooperatives had collapsed, and implored Mmadikola residents to ensure that they theirs was a different story. 

He implored Boteti Sub-District Council departments to support the cooperative store through procurement of building materials from it when building government houses. 

He commended Lucara for its assistance, which he said it had spread across the country. 

Lucara Botswana general manager Mr Johane Mchive said they were committed to sustainable development goals and the aim was to achieve zero hunger, good health and wellbeing. 

He stated that they used to fund individual members of community, but the approach failed to bring significant results. 

Now, he said, the company had moved to sponsoring projects owned by cooperatives. BOPA