29 Jun 2022

A gesture to donate an eight cubic metre borehole worth P750 000 by DWD Technologies Group and Gem Drilling has been applauded as it came at the right time when government was in need of the private sector support amid COVID-19 consequences.

Appreciating the gesture, the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Setlhabelo Modukanele said even though the COVID-19 pandemic might have abated, government was still reeling from its financial consequences.

The consequences, he said had even forced shifting of national priorities; with the main focus being saving the lives of citizens through vaccine procurement.

“The current state of affairs therefore, means that government will welcome any gesture by the private sector to help meet national obligations of providing basic amenities such as water,” he said during the handing over ceremony at Jwaneng on Tuesday.

Mr Modukanele said that such assistance by the private sector would enable government to quickly shift back to its initial development plans.

He said with such assistance, the Jwaneng Town Council (JTC) would now be able to resuscitate its parks and greening activities, which it was forced to suspend as a cost containment measure in the face of competing social needs.

The assistant minister also advised the JTC to consider sharing the water with neighbouring communities, at a cost to generate revenue as councils had been encouraged to work towards reducing reliance on the central government for project funding.

Mr Mdukanele said the gesture by DWD Technologies Group was exactly what government had been encouraging the private companies to do. 

“This donation stands out as a good example of what government has been advocating for; partnership between government and the private sector towards the development of this country,” he said.

He therefore encouraged other companies to come on board and assist in providing reticulation services and water storage receptacles from the borehole to targeted areas in town.

On behalf of  the donors, DWD Technologies Group director, Mr Rudie de Wet said that they were privileged to have assisted JTC, and indicated that it was not the first related project they had handed to the community.

He cited the handing over of another borehole at Betesankwe settlement, which had a dire challenge of water shortage, as well as other projects across the country.

“As a company, we have also been drastically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but despite all that we have tried by all means to assist communities. We retained our employees throughout the pandemic and after it abated. We increased our staff because we are aware that in our society, employing an individual is also indirectly helping their dependents,” he said.

Mr De Wet said that as a company, giving back to the community was dear to their hearts and that they would be happy if the borehole could be used to help communities even beyond Jwaneng Township.

In her word of acceptance, Jwaneng mayor, Ms Olga Ditsie said the town had decided on the amusement park as a way of providing people with a place for entertainment, but due to high water bills they could not maintain it or other parks around town.

She said that the borehole would now enable JTC to resuscitate its parks, especially in support of the environmental regeneration strategy, which seeks to make Jwaneng green.

For his part Gem Drilling managing director, Mr Rudah Kereng also thanked DWD Technologies Group for having acceded to partnering to help the town, saying that the company had been supportive even to upcoming citizen owned companies.

“Personally, they have been helpful to my company in as far as imparting skills such as technical ability, so helping is part and parcel of their culture,” he said.

Furthermore, he said that was the spirit that his company had learnt from them.  Ends