Debswana’s gem keeps on sparkling 40 years later
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Monday October 30, 2023 06:00
Many Batswana dreamt of moving to Orapa after the discovery of diamonds in 1976 in order to improve their standard of living, and Mosweunyane was among the luckiest to be a part of that dream team.
Orapa, at the time, was like the biblical land of milk and honey. The aspirant Mosweunyane, who came from the then-dusty village of Serowe, entered Orapa and Letlhakane mines in 1983 through its apprenticeship training programme.
The devoted husband and a father of three, was recently awarded the Debswana OLDM’s long service certificate. The long service awards were held to honour and acknowledge the workers' loyalty, commitment and dedication to the company.
Taking a trip down memory lane, Mosweunyane said he joined the giant mining company at the age of 19 after completing his Cambridge Ordinary Level qualification from Swaneng Hill School.
Upon completing his four year’s apprenticeship programme at Orapa Training Centre, the workaholic was hired at Letlhakane Mine as a Maintenance Fitter. “From 1987 to 1988, I worked in the same mine before moving to Orapa Township Council's maintenance division under the engineering department," he continued. Mosweunyane also said after that, he returned to the mine and joined the geology department before going on to work at the pilot plant that was in charge of exploring for underground samples.
The diligent and committed maintenance fitter stated that from 1993 to 1995, he worked at Orapa Plant I, before being promoted to Mechanical Charge Hand or Assistant Foreman. Mosweunyane continued working with enthusiasm and he continued to make significant impact as he served at the then constructed metallurgical test facility that served as the prototype for the current Orapa Cut II mine expansion project.
The project was established to double the mine’s production capacity to 12 million carats from six million carats per annum. Mosweunyane said after that, as a maintenance planner for the Orapa No. 1 facility, he transferred from the production to the reliability department. Mosweunyane was then promoted to maintenance planner, scheduler, and resource coordinator in 2019 under the engineering department, a position he still holds to date.
On a grander scale, he said receiving the long service award from the employer validated the contribution he has made to the OLDM and the country at large. “Being able to see some of the illustrious OLDM’s significant contributions transforming Botswana's economy from a low-income to a middle-high income over the course of the past 40 years, gratifies me,” a jovial Mosweunyane said.
Although Mosweunaye considered his experience working in the engineering department as challenging yet informative, it took years of devoted effort and hard work to achieve greater heights.
Additionally, even though the benefits first appeared intangible, Mosweunyane’s persistence and patience paid off as he was able to gather experience and explore different mining technologies. Mosweunyane is nostalgic about the good old days. “I remember that we used to have communication problems upon joining the mine because the majority of artisans at the time did not understand English,” Mosweunyane remembers, adding that they used to assist foreigners with work cards but he is happy that all artisans at the mine today are locals.
Mosweunyane stated that due to the digitalisation of mining processes, it has become difficult to adjust to the usage of cutting-edge technology and machinery. Mosweunyane is full of praise for the significant contribution that Debswana has done to develop the country’s economy. He vividly remembers that in the 1980s most roads in Botswana, Orapa included, did not have bitumen which made travelling difficult. “In Orapa, only one kilometre of the town’s roads was paved while the rest were just gravel.
It was difficult to find transport to go to Francistown, which was the nearest town to the time. We used Smith Transport bus, which was scheduled to travel to Francistown on Monday, Thursday and Saturday.
All travel bookings were done at the administration office. Travelling to my home village was even worse as it required a four-wheel drive. It took about 10 hours to reach Serowe,” he added.
Mosweunyane is now happy that diamonds from Debswana have contribution greatly to the economy of Botswana with over 32, 000km of well-tarred road network. Mosweunyane heaps praises on the OLDM’s corporate social investment (CSI) initiative, which continues to empower locals under Debswana’s Citizen Empowerment Program (CEEP). The CEEP is anchored by the company’s ODOT 2024 Strategy, “One Dream One Team’’, that seeks to “unlock greater value to create a better future for Batswana whilst optimising shareholder value”, which is aligned to Botswana’s Vision 2036 goal of achieving prosperity for all.
Through the CSI, Mosweunyane noted that the engineering department, where he spent decades working, was able to adopt Mmatshumo village, one of the OLDM areas of influence communities. He added that through the CSI, OLDM was also able to help a poor family in Kgatleng by building it a decent house that also accommodates the needs of a person living with disability. “Being part of OLDM is a wonderful and fulfilling experience but giving back to needy members of the community is even more fulfilling and important,” a jovial Mosweunyane underscored.
Mosweunyane challenged his co-workers to be dedicated to their work and laser-focused in order to develop, adding that he will retire next year in August. He pleads with his co-workers to understand the company’s hierarchical advancement system and to be patient. “I also encourage my fellow workers to invest in their education rather than to wait to be awarded scholarships by the company.
They should be captains of their lives,” Mosweunyane implored. Mosweunyane laments that because technology was not as advanced as it is now when he joined OLDM, he was unable to take advantage of scholarship opportunities or continue his education.
Speaking about his pre-retirement plans, Mosweunyane revealed that he has enlisted in short agricultural courses because he wants to reduce the country’s high import food bill.
On a parting note, Mosweunyane thanks Debswana for the opportunities that it has given him including making sure that his children had access to good education at an affordable price for the past 40 years. “I also thank my loving wife and family for the love they have given me throughout my journey with OLDM.”