On 31st July 1973, what was known as Morupule Colliery then realised its first production of coal.
Fifty (50) years later in 2023, now called Morupule Coal Mine (MCM), the company reflects back on its journey as a key contributor to Botswana’s economy and mainstay producer of coal in the region and internationally and as a symbol of prosperity for the local communities.
The company has gone from being an Anglo American site to being wholly owned by Debswana Diamond Company whose largest shareholder is the Government of Botswana under the Minerals Development Company Botswana (MDCB). From seam to value, Morupule Coal Mine has been delivering a world-class product to its customers since 1973. The company has proved itself to be an industry leader in supplying coal within the country for power generation, among others. It celebrates “50 Years of Energising the Nation” as its mantra for this milestone.
The board, management, staff and other key stakeholders of MCM wish to mark the occasion with an array of activities and a grand celebration that is slated for September 2023. “The approach for celebrating MCM50 is to tell the story of MCM from 1973 to now and give a glimpse of the future by intertwining our Corporate Strategy #1-3-27,” the CEO of MCM, Edwin Elias, said when he unveiled the MCM50 logo to employees on the lawns of MCM Admin Block in Palapye recently.
Elias expressed his delight and privilege to be at the helm of the leadership of this organisation at the time of such a momentous occassion. The MCM50 logo was designed in-house with employees availed three options to choose the brand identifier embracing all things MCM50. Union representative, Ofentse Lemponye, who is a member of the MCM50 Organising Committee, closed the unveiling session on a wintry Monday morning by thanking all employees for taking part and having a voice in shaping the commemoration of MCM50 through this exercise.
“I hope that we will be open enough to contribute to the committee whatever ideas we have as this year will go down in history, not only for us but for the country as well, as a landmark,” Lemponye noted. The role that MCM has played and continues to play in bettering Botswana is significant and should be recognised. The celebration is also a time for reflection, refocusing and dreaming even bigger about what MCM wants to be in a rapidly changing business environment that has inspired the company’s vision to be a partner of choice in the global coal market.
