23 Mar 2014

Majwe Mining Joint Venture has donated protective clothing items to government.

The package was from Majwe Mining’s sister company Leighton Contractors in Australia and comprised of reflective shirts, jackets, trousers, safety boots, overalls  and hard hats, among others.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony on March 20, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Peter Siele commended the company for the good gesture that they continued to extend to Batswana.

Mr Siele said the company’s corporate social responsibility had in the past contributed immensely to different sectors such as education, community development, environment, poverty alleviation, business development as well as occupational health and safety.

He noted that the company was committed to improving the socio-economic status of the Jwaneng community and those in the peripheries.

“What pleased me about the projects that you have since embarked on is that they are all aimed at improving the socio-economic development of our communities, not only in Jwaneng but also in its environs,” he said.

The minister noted that such interventions by Majwe Mining Joint Venture were in line with the President’s roadmap of five Ds, particularly Dignity.

He said the protective clothing would not only provide safety but would also restore dignity in the lives of the recipients. He underscored the need for the private sector to meet the government half way in implementing social upliftment programmes so that such initiatives could bear fruit.

He said the company’s donation was a good example of a partnership between government and the private sector adding that other businesses should emulate Majwe Mining Joint Venture and Leighton Contractors.

These partnerships, he noted, could go a long way in diversifying the economy of the country and enhancing social responsibility initiatives.

“The move taken by Majwe Mining Joint Venture (Pty) Ltd and your sister company Leighton Contractors to donate protective clothing is highly commendable. I hope other players in the private sector countrywide will emulate this generous gesture and goodwill,” he said.

For his part, Majwe Mining Joint Venture project director, Mr Ian McRae explained that their donation was targeting people who were working in hazardous environments such as Ipelegeng workers.

He said his company had a principle of Zero Harm in the workplace, and therefore they wanted to extend the same objective to other groups of people even outside the workplace.

He noted that people would strive to always be safety conscious both at work and elsewhere.

“For us safety is a clear pre-requisite to good production. We also believe safety awareness should not only be confined to the workplace but everywhere where there is livelihood and where there are potential hazards, including our households, schools, on our roads and the like,” he explained.

He commended Leighton Contractors for providing the protective clothing items and making shipping arrangements from Australia to Botswana.

He also lauded Barloworld Equipment for donating additional protective equipment such as safety masks, earplugs and gloves to go with the package. ENDS