11 Jul 2023

In its quest to develop ‘human diamonds’ as a sustainable strategy beyond diamond mining, Jwaneng Mine on June 7 hosted an empowerment workshop for entrepreneurs with disabilities. 

Through the initiative, held under the theme ‘Optimising Procurement Through Supplier Diversity’, the mine intended to capacitate people with disability (PWD) in the small and medium enterprises sector so they could equally participate in various economic activities. 

Speaking at the event, Jwaneng Mine General Manger, Mr Koolatotse Koolatotse said the programme was part of their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy, and was intended to use economic empowerment as a potential tool to enhance the participation and contribution of PWD in the economy. He said the initiative resonated with their aspiration to establish a sustainable legacy similar to the precious stone they mined. 

He said they had already employed 51 people with disability out of the 100 they had set as a target for the year. He said Debswana was committed to helping PWD to improve the quality and standard of their products and services to enhance their access to finance and markets. 

“Those that we cannot empower through employment, we empower through entrepreneurship,” he said. Mr Koolatotse underscored the need for society to embrace PWD and incorporate them in mainstream economic activities. He said just like the diamond they mined, they represented love, uniqueness, strength and respect, and persevered in the face of numerous challenges. 

Debswana Head of Supply Chain, Mr Phillip Lisindi said the company was committed to promoting participation of minority-owned businesses through creation of jobs within communities as well as reducing gaps between the rich and the poor. 

“By creating jobs within our communities, we reduce disparities between the rich and the poor, in wealth and in income. It is important that we empower all communities, including minority-owned businesses,” he said. 

The aim was to facilitate creation of equal business opportunities, he said. 

However, he underscored the need to conduct a background check on businesses that had interest in participating in Debswana supply chain to preserve the company’s image. 

For his part, the executive director of Botswana Council for the Disabled, Mr Moffat Louis commended Jwaneng Mine for incorporating PWD into mainstream programmes. 

He urged other organisations to emulate the mine. Mr Louis called on entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunity to improve their products, as that would in turn position them well. ENDS