Hope for Dukwi as Mowana Mine re-opens
Pini Bothoko | Thursday January 26, 2017 15:26
The two mines, which were initially owned by Johannesburg Stock Exchange listed, ZCI Investments through its operating subsidiary Messina Copper Botswana (MCB), were placed under provisional liquidation in November 2015 after failing to pay creditors.
Recently it was announced that a South African firm, PenMin Holdings, operating as Leboam, had offered to buy the mines. The deal has now been concluded and the Mine is expected to resume operations in March.
The developments have the Dukwi village leadership excited.
Village Kgosi, Bohedile Tlwaelang told Mmegi that like other villages that have benefited from the mines in their vicinity, they are hopeful that the reopening of the Mine will create new jobs for residents.
He said residents are excited and hope to be employed and benefit from many spin-offs that come with the reopening of the Mine.
“The majority of residents are unemployed and depend on Ipelegeng as their only source of employment.
“Even though the Mine did not play a major role in the village’s development in the past, we are hopeful for a better future.
“The majority of residents were occasionally engaged as casual workers with women employed as house helpers by miners,” Tlwaelang said.
The chief said that Mowana’s closure had crippled the property market, retail sector and some villagers were forced to close down their businesses.
He said some villagers have been renting out houses to miners but ever since the Mine closed, the houses have become empty, a clear indicator of loss of business.
Tlwaelang said mines have social benefits as they assist villages in their vicinity. He expressed confidence that the revived Mowana would continue to offer them support.
“They used to give us money to celebrate Independence Day. We are hopeful that the relationship will continue and they will assist us even more so we can carry out major projects that change the face of the village and improve people’s lives,” Tlwaelang said.
Tlwaelang appealed to potential mine workers in the village to learn from the misfortunes of the past, and invest on something that will sustain them after the Mine closure because copper prices are not stable. While a blessing, developments such as mining do come with their own sets of problems, the village leader observed.
Tlwaelang wants to see behavioural change by those hoping to be employed by Mowana.
“Before the mines closed, many miners, who were breadwinners, lost their lives in car accidents.
“Usually the miners would get over-excited at month end and drive long distances under the influence of alcohol.
“Besides that, we had a problem of some miners getting involved in love relationship with school-going children.
“We do not tolerate such behaviour. The mine employees should behave like parents. Before the mines closed, we experienced high cases of defilement and high teenage pregnancy and infidelity to mention but a few of the vices miners’ caused. We are appealing to those who will be employed to refrain from such behaviour and treat Dukwi like their home villages,” Tlwaelang said.
Also hopeful is the Village Development Committee (VDC) chairperson, Boenyana Lesole, who revealed that in the past they had asked Mowana to help them with funds to upgrade their clinic and build a maternity wing, a community hall and library.
“We are currently using the Dukwi refugee camp maternity wing and this is something residents are not pleased with because it does not belong to us but to the refugees. We also need a community hall so that we can hire it out and raise money for the village developments,” Lesole said.
He said a library would be helpful to the youth because it would impact on the academic achievement of the learners.
Lesole is also hopeful that the opening of the mine will bring jobs to citizens in general, and not only to the people of Dukwi village.