13 Dec 2022

Gestures of recognition and appreciation bring high staff morale and improved delivery within the working environment.

Vice President Mr Slumber Tsogwane said this during a ceremony in Gaborone recently to celebrate 150 long-serving Choppies staff members who have delivered to excellence over 10 years.

Mr Tsogwane said the awards were a gesture of appreciation that marked gratitude to the employees who served exceptionally to ensure the success of the company.

He said the award recipients had planted a seed and were reaping their rewards of hard work. 

He commended private companies such as Choppies for  making staff welfare issues a priority.

The vice president said lucrative salaries and valuing employees had great potential to earn any company good returns.

“Choppies is the largest employer in retail space that has employed many and is arguably the highest employer of people living with disabilities in Botswana,” he said.

This, he said was aligned to President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s Reset Agenda priority of ensuring that no one should be left behind.

He noted that as the company continued to recognise employees more often they will be encouraged to work even harder to take the company to greater heights.

Regarding to the level of crime locally, Mr Tsogwane said government was worried about the rising crime trends, therefore he urged all to treat crime as a high risk that could cripple the country’s economy defeating efforts of attracting foreign direct investment.

He also urged all businesses to commit to paying their taxes to ensure developments were achieved, saying that a tax collector should not be seen as as evil but as one who performed great deeds which would advance all economic growth endeavors.

Of all award recipients, 146 received awards for long service, and employees who served 30 to 32 years were given a cow each. 

Jwaneng Choppies scooped best performing store award, receiving P10 000, while special recognition award went to Mr Lekoko Abednico who received P5 000 cash prize. 

Rising star award recipients got P5 000.

Vice President Tsogwane encouraged all to take care of themselves during Christmas holidays , to be mindful to avoid roads accidents and preserve lives. ENDS