Bad moon rises on battered mineworkers

Grave times: The expansion of the Jwaneng Mine pit was among projects leading recovery of the mining sector after the recession
Grave times: The expansion of the Jwaneng Mine pit was among projects leading recovery of the mining sector after the recession

Barely five years after the harshest recession in local history, a bad moon is once again rising over the local mining landscape, casting ominous silhouettes across workers’ compounds. For the 11,000 mineworkers and their families, the sense of déjà vu also carries an air of inevitability. Mmegi Staff Writer, MBONGENI MGUNI reports

When the global recession reached local shores in the summer of 2008, it resulted in industry-wide work suspensions and closures within months, cut 1,000 mining jobs in six months and by the end of 2009, had shrunk the economy by nearly eight percent.

In 2009, mineworkers’ colleagues in the then fledgling diamond cutting and polishing sector saw 689 of their ‘comrades’ bite the dust, as firms cut costs in light of reduced throughput from the Diamond Trading Centre Botswana (DTCB), the cost of excess capacity and constrictive credit obligations to banks.

Editor's Comment
Congratulations Anicia Gaothuse!

The contest had 10 beautiful young girls as finalists and unfortunately only one could wear the crown.The judges picked Anicia Gaothuse. To all those who feel their contestant should have won ahead of Anicia for whatever reason, hardly; the judges found Anicia to be the best among the best, so desist from disrespecting our newly crowned queen on social media or anywhere else, for that matter! Each of the 10 beautiful young women had supporters...

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