Botswana Ash has pledged to play a substantial role in bolstering the local economy for communities residing near its salt and soda ash mining operations.
With the unveiling of its transformative five-year strategy in late 2023, Botash has set its sights on identifying and fostering projects and businesses within the villages surrounding the mining facility.
“We are looking at projects with the communities that can generate income for themselves,” said Kangangwani Phatshwane, the Botash Managing Director.
He made these remarks during a ceremony earlier this week at Kutamogore Primary School in the Tutume district, where Printing and Photocopying Machines were being handed over.
The printing and photocopying machines worth P1.5 million were distributed to several schools, including Moremogolo Primary School in Francistown, Chabongwa Primary School, Dukwi Primary School, Dukwi Junior Secondary School, Makongwa Primary School in Nata, and Kutamogore Primary School.
Since mining companies leave the area after exhausting the minerals, Phatshwane said the idea to establish sustainable projects is to ensure that the communities will not suffer after the mining activities.
“The objective is to stimulate and diversify the economy of Tutume District to build a resilient local economy to create jobs and wealth for the benefit of the people,” he said amid a thunderous round of applause from the crowd.
Since the inception of the sustainability project in 2020, Phatshwane stated that Botash has allocated P57 million towards supporting the local community by funding various developmental projects.
“However, none of the projects sponsored was income generating,” he said and urged the communities of Dukwi, Sowa, Nata, Manxotae, Kutamogore to propose income generating projects for funding.
“Establishing income generating projects will result in having enough funds that will be channeled towards other programmes without necessarily depending on donor funding,” he said.
In her budget proposal of P102.8 billion earlier this month, Minister of Finance Peggy Serame emphasized Botswana’s commitment to stimulating economic growth, creating employment, and prioritizing sectors with significant potential to improve the lives of Batswana, as a developing economy.
