OLDM GM's walk to quench Boteti's thirst
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Monday August 18, 2025 06:00
The purpose of the walk is to raise funds for charity to complement Debswana OLDM's Corporate Social Investment (CSI) efforts in an endeavour to improve life within the Boteti District.
In an interview, OLDM GM's walk marketing lead Lebogang Tebogo said about 1,000 hikers have registered for this year's main event.
He stated that around 2,700 children have registered for the Kiddies Walk, which takes place prior to the main event.
Tebogo added that they expect walkers from South Africa under the South Africa Anglo American and De Beers umbrella.
Speaking about the walk, he said the funds raised from this year's event, held under the theme 'A Walk for Water', will go towards addressing water challenges experienced in Botswana.
Currently, Boteti is faced with a significant shortage of water, with a shortfall of 1.2 million litres per day affecting 13,000 households.
He stated that particular villages of concern include Letlhakane and Mmatshumo, which have experienced exponential population growth and urbanisation with limited expansion of the water system to meet the current demand.
Tebogo further stated that a short to medium-term sustainable solution to address water scarcity is estimated to cost P10 million.
'These funds will be channelled towards addressing issues of water inflow, infrastructure, and quality to ensure access to water for their communities,' he added.
Tebogo also revealed that the previous GM's charity walks raised over P5 million.
'In 2024, proceeds from the walk were committed towards the construction of a classroom block at Mmea Primary School and refurbishment of the Rakops Primary Hospital theatre,' he said.
Both projects are ongoing, with completion expected before the end of 2025, Tebogo added.
Speaking about some of the challenges they are experiencing, he said they have seen a significant drop in ticket sales compared to last year.
He acknowledged that the prevailing economic conditions have affected ticket sales.
Tebogo also pointed out that companies that traditionally supported them have pulled out due to various economic reasons.
He stated that the downsizing system through the Volunteering Separation Scheme has also contributed to low ticket sales.
'Due to the low ticket sales, we came up with an initiative to increase our sales by introducing a raffle ticket sale of P30 for a second-hand Toyota vehicle.
'We encourage everyone to participate and buy raffle tickets because there are no conditions attached,' he added.
EH construction will be the diamond for the main event where as Barloworld will be a diamond sponsor for the Kiddies event.
Tebogo said the event will start with a gala dinner prior to the main event on Saturday with two categories the 10km and 21km walk and a Cool Down music festival in the evening.