Debswana contractors� jobs decline marginally
Pauline Dikuelo | Tuesday May 23, 2017 17:05
However the group attributed the inconsistency to the contracts, which they said some were ending while some were renewed, as they were indirect jobs.
“We need to remember that these jobs were not directly Debswana employees but those who have been contracted by Debswana, hence the reason for the inconsistency. However, we try by all means that we do contribute to job creation as much as we can,” the report says.
The group and its joint ventures also spent more than P4 billion in Botswana in 2016 purchasing goods and services from local businesses. The spending with Botswana-based businesses, which represented 81% of the group’s and its joint ventures’ total procurement spent in Botswana, comprised payments for both core business and ancillary services.
According to the De Beers chief executive officer, Bruce Cleaver putting the supply chain to work is helping to secure jobs and deliver substantial benefits to local businesses across a range of sectors.
“While our diamond partnership with the government has delivered a great deal of direct economic benefit over the last five decades, we are increasingly looking for ways in which we can also maximise our contribution outside our core business,” he said.
The report also highlights that in Botswana, De Beers group and its joint ventures spent more than P49 million in training their employees, assisted more than 100 businesses and created about 570 jobs through Tokafala, which is an enterprise development programme run in association with Anglo American.
In its endeavour to empower the youth locally, they also last year partnered with Botswana Innovation Hub (BIH) and the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture (MYSC) to host the inaugural Youth Innovators Conference to develop entrepreneurs amongst young people. De Beers has also invested about $11.4 million in Botswana through social investment in 2016 which is the same amount as the previous year.
The group also supported 640 jobs and 120 businesses through enterprise development programmes in Southern Africa. In addition, they generated further socio-economic benefit for its partners through the sale of $1.4 billion of rough diamonds to local cutting and polishing businesses within its producer countries, a more than 70% increase on 2015 as part of its in-country beneficiation strategy.
De Beers also, as a result of improved financial and operating performance, globally returned $5 billion to stakeholders, a 26% rise on 2015 through taxes, payments and dividends which they said emphasises the importance of the relationships with their stakeholders, including governments, communities, suppliers and joint venture partners.