Debswana hands over multi-million road

RYDER GABATHUSE
Staff Writer | Wednesday February 28, 2007 00:00

'This is in line with our mandate of developing the communities in which we mine the diamond. The P22 million double sealed road also extends slightly to the dusty Mmatshumo road,' Orapa and Letlhakane mines' chief communications officer, Kesego Kebelaele said. He asserted that Debswana believes strongly in assisting government to provide services to the community.

The mines provide free ARV therapy and Kebelaele said the new road will make it easier for patients to access the drugs. 'We provide ARVs to the communities surrounding Orapa and the new road will provide the villagers with the necessary easy access to Orapa,' she said.
 She added that the road provides a short cut to Francistown and places like Mmatshumo from the Orapa-Letlhakane road.

The Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Ponatshego Kedikilwe, is expected to grace the handover of the road in Boteti North constituency.
 Area MP Slumber Tsogwane said that the government is in the process of taking over the tarring of the road where Debswana left as indicated by the National Development Plan Nine (NDP 9). 'The designs for this road which was to start at Letlhakane are available. We expect the government to take over where Debswana has ended.'
Boteti South MP and Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry, Lebonaamang Mokalake told Mmegi that there are very few companies committed to the development of communities in which they do business. 'As the area MP, I really appreciate the development and indeed Debswana has made a huge difference in our lives,' he declared.
The Orapa-Letlhakane mines set a new record in their 35-year history by recovering about 18.6 million carats of diamonds in 2006 from a target of about 17.3 million carats.