�Phatsimo | July 31 | 2007

PhatsimoVol: 2 Issue 9 Registered at the G.P.O. as a newspaper www.debswana.com July 31, 2007

Debswana Group Newspaper

Inside

Thought of the Week

Worrying about some-

thing that may never

happen is like paying

interest on money you

may never borrow.

-Unknown

Thus said Martin Luther King Junior, at the height of activities of civil rights movement that he led to liberate black Americans from the discriminatory regime in that country then.

The statement fits Botswana today whenever the debate on power supply ensues. That is be-cause Botswana is marching, albeit gradually, from the moment of power supply comfort zone into times of great challenge.

As of next year, South Africa will not be too generous with their power supply to Botswana. Their reasoning is that they no longer have surplus power.

Cletus Tangane, Mine Manager of Morupule Colliery is ready to take a clear stand and pick up the gauntlet that South Africa has chal-lenged our country with. Morupule is a wholly owned Debswana subsidiary.

Tangane has gone on record

part, owing to the coming World Cup in 2010 that South Africa will be hosting. It’s a project that de-mands far more power than they normally use,” he explained to emphasise the shortfall Botswana will be faced with.

Does Morupule Colliery have enough coal reserves that Tangane’s confidence could be premised on? Yes, says Tangane emphatically. His explanation is that presently, they are mining through a system he calls rum and pillar.

The system allows the Mine access to only a 25 per-cent of the reserves at its disposal. In view of the impending challenge of power shortage, Tangane and his team are considering a new way of mining.

“We are now looking at the total extraction method. That explains why we have just come

We are up to the challenge: Tangane

Power shortage from S.A.MORUPULE: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and conven-ience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

stating that the Coal mine, which has a clear responsibility of sup-plying the country with sufficient power, will stand up to the chal-lenge. “We know that we are about to face shortage of power as of 2008. South Africa has already communicated to us that they will not have enough supply to sell to us as before. We there-fore have no option but to take up the challenge. We have the responsibility to supply the country with the power it needs,” stated Tangane in a candid interview with Phatsimo.

“Beyond 2007, Eskom will not have enough supply and that is, in

Cletus Tangane, Mine Manager of Morupule Colliery

ORAPA: The Itekeng Stadium was opened re-cently with great pomp and splendor.

A great number of people flocked to join the Orapa and Letlhakane Mines in celebrating the auspicious occasion.

Officiating at the occasion, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Major General Moeng Pheto, said his ministry is short of words to convey the gratitude of the Botswana government to Debswana for the construction of the stadium. He said the construc-tion of the stadium will go a long way in augmenting government ef-forts in the provision of sport and recreation facilities through the Integrated Sports Facilities Projects.

“My ministry is proud to have such a distinguished stakeholder in Debswana as a partner who continues to demonstrate the real meaning of commitment to national development and nation building,” he said.

The Minister pointed out that Debswana has offered to contrib-ute P �50 000. 00 to partially fund

the national soccer under-23 team to enter the 4 nation’s tourna-ment in China. He added that the stadium is a long term investment for the Company as the facilities will play a significant role in pre-paring local teams for any sports participation more especially as Botswana joins the rest of Africa in preparing for the 20�0 FIFA World Cup to be held in South Africa.

For his part, the General Manager for Orapa and Letlhakane mines, Sebetlela Sebetlela, said

Debswana places great emphasis on the wellness of its employees and that of their families hence the establishment of sporting and entertainment facilities such as the Itekeng stadium. He explained that the name “Itekeng” arose in the early days of the establishment of Orapa town as a rallying cry by the average employee and residents of the town at the time to find ways of enriching their lifestyle while working for the Mine.

“It is an established fact that a healthy body and mind makes a

Minister Pheto officially opens Orapa Stadium

contd. on page 2

productive employee. We intend to set the pace in everything we do and that includes promoting the wellbeing of our employees,” he said. “We are confident that in the global competition for skills, the availability of such a variety of sporting facilities in our town at such competitive cost to the em-ployee is an attractive magnet for skilled people to the mines.”

Talking to Phatsimo, Orapa and Letlhakane mines’ Public and Corporate Affairs manager Thapelo Letsholo, said the Mine found it fit to refurbish the stadium in February last year and the project was finally completed in December 2006.

He explained that Itekeng stadium was constructed in two phases. The first phase included the athletic track and soccer pitch, both of which were done at the cost of almost six million Pula (P5, 966, 306, 00). The second phase of the stadium included the con-struction of the grand stand, public ablutions and floodlighting at a cost of almost 4.5 million Pula, (P4, 411, 072, 81). The total cost of the stadium construction is �0 million

contd. on page 8

from a trip in Australia to learn more about coal mining,” Tangane said.

He explained that the deci-

sion to go to Australia stemmed from their understanding that the

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Major General Moeng Pheto

Motswana in a kilt!page 3

2 Debswana bids farewell to long serving members

3 Debswana students excel at Leeds

4 Jwaneng 25 years recipients6 DSS will give ‘business

focus’ - Masupe7 Vultures choose to roost in

Jwaneng8 Soccer Team on winning

spree

2 Phatsimo | July 31 | 2007

Letters to the Editor

Speak up! Phatsimo is your platform. We have space reserved for let-ters to the Editor. Let us hear from you. Write to us your meaningful comments, your genuine concerns, your exceptionally good ideas that can transform your workspace and your fellow workers. Write to us and we will publish your stories. All contributions to Phatsimo should be sent to:

The Editor, P.O. Box 329, Gaborone, BotswanaFax +267 3180778; email : phatsimo@debswana .com

Editorial board

Grace Mosinyi – (Public Relations Manager [A]) - Editor(+267 3614 279)Charmaine Revaka – Communications Manager Jwaneng Mine (+267 5884 221)Thapelo Letsholo - Public and Corporate Affairs Manager Orapa & Letlhakane Mines(+267 2972 212)Kesego Kebalaele - Chief Communications Officer - Orapa and Letlhakane Mines (+267 2972484)Tebogo Moloto – Assistant Communications Officer Morupule Colliery (+267 4920 281)Patricia Palaparti – Personalised Creations (+267 395 6250)

phatsimo@debswana.bw

Phatsimo means shining, from the sparkle and the smoothness of Debs-wana’s high quality diamonds that contribute to the development and economy of Botswana.

From the Editor’s DeskThis issue of Phatsimo announces the departure of its

previous Managing Editor, Jacob Sesinyi who has left Deb-swana to pursue other interests. While we, at Phatsimo and at Debswana, will miss him intensely, we take this opportunity to thank him for his unconditional commitment to his work and to Phatsimo in particular. His service to the Company and to the nation at large has been a string of successes, especially with acquainting the world about Botswana’s good diamond story. We wish Jacob well in all his future endeavors.

In this edition we feature two long serving members of Debswana staff who have also left. Both of them have known no other employer but Debswana for the last 25 years. Their presence will be greatly missed. We wish them great success in their future efforts and trust that they will prosper and shine in whatever they do and thank them for their dedication towards shaping Debswana and the nation at large.

Phatsimo brings you, in this issue, the various ways in which Debswana continues to be the backbone of the country. We are aware that there will be power shortages of major propor-tions in the coming year. But Cletus Tangane is taking the chal-lenge head-on. On another level, the Shared Services Project with its objectives is set to help Debswana achieve its business strategy.

Debswana’s CSI programmes, be it in sponsoring students to study abroad or in donating drums to the Councils to help in the management of the environment or in the conservation of endangered birds, stand testimony to the fact that the Com-pany continues to drive the nation’s progress.

As Debswana continues to strive to achieve its targets, I would like to say, as the blind Helen Keller did: “Never bend your head. Hold it high. Look the world in the eye.”

Grace Mosinyi

GABORONE: While some of the Debswana executives leave the company to pursue other interests, two long -serving Head Office Tea ladies have also left the Company.

Peggy Dikeledi Mpala: The soft spoken and amiable woman hums a tune under her breath as she prepares me a cup of tea on a cold winter morning on the 5th floor at Debswana Head Office. Serene and smiling, she takes Phat-simo through the chronicles of her working life at the world’s premier diamond company.

It has been 23 years since Peg-gy started working for Debswana as a ‘tea lady’. But on June 29 this year she made a decision to leave the Company. Indeed Mpala has had a long journey in an important department that the world usually does not pay much attention to unless it is not there. Every morn-ing and afternoon when the Com-pany staff are busy in their offices with their hectic schedules, Mpala and her colleagues serve them tea or coffee to ensure they are re-laxed and refreshed and can work to their optimum levels because of the service they offer.

Mpala says she enjoyed every moment of her life at Debswana. She states that she has fed staff members, managers in board rooms and all the other guests, refreshing cups of tea and other goodies that kept them wanting more.

Peggy Mpala offered more than the standard menu at Debswana: she was supervising cleaners as she carried out her core duties.

“I am a very energetic lady who doesn’t compromise on cleanliness and am very clean myself. When I serve tea I make sure that I serve it in a very clean environment. I don’t just depend on cleaners, No!” she said, with emphasis.

Mpala smiles triumphantly as she reveals to Phatsimo that she used to assist with typing and also substitute at the switchboard when somebody was on leave. She says this is what motivated her to do a two-year typing course at Trinity church in Gaborone.

As she leaves Debswana, Mpa-la advises all Company employees, especially the management, to zealously guard and manage the precious stones to ensure long term sustenance of the nation. She says she is sometimes overcome with fear when she imagines the possibility of mismanagement of diamonds in the future like in other war torn countries. She says if that situation came to Botswana, then the nation will be doomed.

Boitumelo Mpolokeng is 55 years old. She comes from Kgoro, a small village in Borolong sub district. She has been working for Debswana for about 25 years, first as a cleaner and lately as a ‘tea lady’. She has also signed out of the Company from the last day of June. She says God will take good care of her life and that the feisty spirit that used to get her up in the morning for 25 years will surely drive her again to carry out other duties of her life. Her belief is that one’s life should not only be moti-vated by the quest to make money but to even do good deeds for the community.

“You’ll never know the plan of God for your life. But I am happy that I’ll start to do something else even if it means helping people in the needy communities or to do the work of God,” she said.

Mpolokeng reveals that her separation package is so good that it will help her start a busi-ness enterprise that will provide other people with employment. She plans to start a company that produces jam and will market it

to district councils for student consumption in primary and junior secondary schools.

Boitumelo Mpolokeng is confident that life after Debswana will still be good. And if her oozing confidence and attitude is anything to go by, surely she is headed for a better future where she’ll contin-ue to serve her family with tea in the ‘Debswana style’. Phatsimo lost count of the number of times she mentioned ‘The Lord’ throughout the interview acknowledging Him for having sustained her for more than 25 years with a steady job and an assured income.

Debswana bids farewell to long serving members

country is well advanced in coal mining. His verdict on their trip to Australia is that it was not a waste of time but an opportunity from which they derived invaluable exposure.

He said they have learnt more on the use of modern technology but acknowledged that they have “a long way to go to reach the Australian standards of output but we are surely aiming at that.”

Tangane said Australia is also tops when it comes to perform-ance. He validated that with this example: In Australia, 85 min-ers can be responsible for 800 megawatts while in Botswana it takes 250 miners to produce �30 megawatts.

Asked what difference they hope to make given that the team that went to Australia did not include workers on the ground but management level, Tangane stated that such a concern has been considered.

“We have resolved to send

our technical staff for at least two weeks in Australia to learn what it takes to reach the Australian standards,” he answered.

He appreciates that changing the mindset of staff at Morupule Colliery Mine to match that of their counterparts in a country such as Australia is a daunting challenge. “It is a huge task to change mindset, but we need to do it, albeit slowly. We will also be incorporating modern tech-niques in our mining projects,” he said.

Tangane was accompanied to Australia by Leonard Mak-winja, the then Morupule Board Chairman and Mr. Lunga, Chief Executive Officer of Botswana Railways. Lunga’s coming on board was necessitated by the fact that Botswana lacks clear cut transport systems to deliver her coal to desired destinations out of Africa, including China where it is in high demand.

Power shortage contd. from page 1

Peggy Dikeledi Mpala then Peggy Dikeledi Mpala now

Boitumelo Mpolokeng

3Phatsimo | July 31 | 2007

LEEDS (UK) Leeds Uni-versity in the UK has a long tradition of achieve-ment for Debswana scholars, with several members of the Com-pany’s senior and mid-dle management having graduated from its por-tals.

Debswana’s female scholars have a success rate to rival that of the men in the engineering forum in the UK and Phatsimo caught up with two of our young lady students at Leeds to discover what drives them to success.

Tebogo Kutuso. (Bachelor of Mining Engineering)

Known as Tebo to her many friends, she is the oldest of 4 siblings, with two brothers and a sister. The family home is in Se-rowe and Tebo passed her GCSEs at Moeding College: “I was pretty strong in Maths and Accounting and so I applied for an account-ancy scholarship, but Debswana offered me a scholarship in Mining Engineering as there was a particu-lar demand for it that year. I was very happy to accept it as mining is so important to our country’s well-being”, Tebogo clarified.

She was one of two Debs-wana students to come to Leeds in 2003. “Because I hadn’t done my A – levels, I had to do a year’s Foundation Course at Park Lane College, just near the University. It was pretty tough, not academically but because most of the students were older than us and were returning to college after several years break from school. I was pleased to progress to the degree course even though I was the only female in my year. Now I have got my degree and I’m waiting to graduate before coming home to start work.”

Tebo was excited though nervous at the thought of going to the mines as she had never had an attachment and had no experi-ence of life there. “I think it will be

a bit of a challenge at first, there will be a lot to get used to and I actually thought that women were not allowed to mine underground. Hopefully that will have been resolved by the time Orapa goes underground – why shouldn’t women be admitted there?”

“I know I will succeed, I will have plenty of guidance from managers and colleagues and it will be good to work with people who were students in the year before me here at Leeds. I had to adjust to life half way around the world and I am sure I can get used to a mining environment. It will be quite different to studying here, where I was the only woman in my year group and in my final year, and had no Debswana students in the year above to confer with.”

To fill in her time since her exams have finished, Tebo has been working in a call centre which deals with trying to help people repay their debts when they are having difficulty making hire purchase repayments. “It can be hard going – I have to be tactful and persuasive, dealing with peo-ple who may be angry or upset at getting into debt. I’ve learned a lot about human nature and I’m sure the experience will be useful.”

Tebo has simple career ambi-tions – to do her best and be successful. Outside work, she would like a family some day, but for the moment she will be happy to graduate and join the list of students who Debswana has helped achieve one of their earliest dreams and return home with a degree from a first class institution.

Unami Kelapile (Bachelor of Engineering, Mining and Mineral Engineering - Metallurgy)

Unami has just finished the second year of her course and is one of three female Mining and Mineral Engineering students out of a total of 20 in her year. She is one of 6 Debswana students in her year, in an atmosphere of healthy competition for �st class honours.

Unami’s home is in Francis-

town and she comes from a family of 5 children, of whom Unami and her twin sister are the eldest. One of her younger brothers is studying Mining and Mineral Engineering in Canada, so it seems to run in the family. Asked what prompted her to follow this course of study, she said: “I loved science and maths at Mater Spei College and the University of Botswana and when I saw the ad for Debswana schol-arships, I knew I had to try my hardest for one, though actually I applied for IT, Mining and Finance. But during the interview process I was told about metallurgy and I re-ally liked the sound of it, it seemed to be right up my street. Then the best part came when I went on attachment to Orapa. I really fell in love with the smell of the soil and the water and the way they interact, the whole process was just fascinating, I can’t wait to get my hands dirty again.”

How has being a woman in a male environment affected her? “Going back to the scholarship

selection process, I can remember being one of two girls out of more than eighty applicants and there was one boy who was making a lot of noise about how the two females were not going to be se-lected because it wasn’t their type of work – it made me even more determined to beat him and in the end, both us girls were awarded scholarships and the noisy young man wasn’t. Since then, I must say that my male colleagues at all lev-els have been very supportive and in no way do I feel out of place. I feel that Debswana has proved that women can succeed entirely on their own merits and there really should be no limit to their ambitions. Mining isn’t a profes-sion that only requires muscle any more; it’s a place for technology and intelligence. I want to be a role model for younger females coming up through the ranks.” She is right but a recent visit to Turkey on a university field trip under-lined that gender equality does not exist everywhere: “We visited 5

mining companies and the workers there were very surprised to see us female students, mining and many other activities are still very male dominated.”

Unami believes that her future in Debswana should be a path of constant improvement, she wants to be one of those people discovering new ways of develop-ing technology and harnessing it, but at the same time not losing sight of the fact that we are using something that nature has pro-vided and we have a duty to retain the environment as we found it: “We create piles of tailings and with more effort we ought to be able to restore their location to its original state.”

Back home, outside work, she has formed a tutor group with some friends to help youngsters who have not had the benefits that go with the sort of education Unami has had. “The group helps kids in Gaborone and Francistown; we try to reinforce what they have been taught and help them

Women in a male domain

Debswana students excel at Leeds

*By Alastair Gordon

EDINBURGH: I was very proud to be present in the McEwan Hall of Edinburgh Uni-versity recently when one of this year’s crop of Debswana graduates, Kabo Ngwanaamotho, was formally presented with his degree certifi-cates.

He graduated with a Master of Electrical Engineering degree. It was a particularly proud oc-casion as Kabo had chosen to wear traditional Scots dress, the kilt and full formal ceremonial regalia, as he was entitled to do, having graduated from a Scottish university.

As Kabo explained, “At home in Botswana it is usually women who wear traditional dress on special occasions. In England they don’t have that custom, but one of the ways that many Scotsmen or women show their pride in their heritage is by wearing the kilt, a traditional garment a bit like a skirt, which comes from the highlands of Scotland. As I’ve lived here for most of four years, I thought I’d show my apprecia-tion by wearing the tartan.”

I should add at this point that each Scottish clan (similar to a tribe) has its own design of cloth, known as a tartan, and as there

career with Debswana.*Alastair Gordon is the care-

taker of Debswana-sponsored students in the UK.

Motswana in a kilt!

isn’t a Ngwanaamotho clan, Kabo wore a kilt of Royal Stuart tartan, as the photo shows, a bright red that contrasted with the black of his formal Prince Charlie jacket, (not the current one but the Bonnie Prince Charlie who died in 1788). Sadly the photo does not show the ceremonial knife that Kabo also wore tucked inside his right sock.

My own ancestors come from Scotland and there is a Gordon tartan that I am fully entitled to wear but sadly do not possess. As you can see, I am sure that Kabo looked much smarter than I would have done and could well be the first Motswana to wear a kilt! As an honorary Scotsman for the day, Kabo was not going to give away the Scotsman’s secret that many ladies would love to know – what does the Scotsman wear under-neath the kilt?

Kabo has been the only Mot-swana student in Edinburgh for quite a while, but has enjoyed the experience tremendously. He has worked with people from numer-ous cultures and counts many of them as his friends. His third year at university included eight months project placement at Jwaneng, another mind broadening experi-ence which will put him in good stead when he returns there soon, to start work. I think many of us whom he leaves behind in the UK, whether students or myself, will miss our visits to see him in the beautiful city of Edinburgh once he has gone home – but we all wish him the very best of luck in his

Kabo Ngwanaamotho

contd. on page 8

L to R: Modiri Gasewarona, Tebogo Kutuso, Unami Kelapile find out about rough diamonds from Bonti Keebine of BDVC (on secondment to DTC’s Diamond Academy)

Kabo Ngwanaamotho

From our UK correspondent

4 Phatsimo | July 31 | 2007Jwaneng 25 years recipients

Agnes Peba Aidan Barry Ana Marata Babiheleng Magano Balekeng Gabanatlhong

Benjamin Mampe Boitumelo Aabobe Boitumelo Mapogo Cleria Keipeile David Bome

Elliot Kgosibodiba Eva Moshashane Gaaitirelwe Molefe Georginah Pelokgosi Gladys Ipotseng

Gladys Lekwalo Herbet Kgaswane Isaac Baletlwa James Motimola James Tau

Jane Kemoreile Jerry Mohlomi Johnson Modisaotsile Kamogelo Raditsebe Kebaneilwe Otukile

Keiseng Lejowa Keletlhokile Mpotokwane Kenneth Gabosegwe Lawrence Setlhatlhanyo Bateng Leipego

This month (August) Jwaneng Mine is celebrating 25 years of it’s existence. Phatsimo takes this moment to congratulate all the employees who have been with the Mine since 1982. Your effort and dedication is highly commendable!

5Phatsimo | July 31 | 2007

Lene Mogaladi Malebogo Moleti Maria Seone Matome Chakalisa Meshack Kgati

Mojuta Serameng Molly Koketso Ranna Moloko Mary Matlou Molwantwa Bishop Montwedi Ramohobe

Moses Dinoko Moses Magodi Mosimanegape Olefile Naledi Dipako Moatlhodi Nickson Phuti

Nkganetsang Ramatiki Oganne Kerobale Onkgopotse Baboletse Makgarapa Otlaadisa Toteng Patricia Dioka

Paul Kebonang Penny Tshegetsang Petros Magodi Petso Radithongwa Phana Mmusi

Pitso Akanyang Private Jacob Phefo Robert Otsile Selwelo Maiketso Tebogo Rantsirapane

Tlhabologang Ntoko Tshoganetso Moleta Victor Atlholang

6 Phatsimo | July 31 | 2007

ORAPA: Orapa and Letl-hakane mines through its Environmental program and the Company’s So-cial Responsibility Initia-tives persist on impacting lives positively. This time, the Mine has donated used 2�0 litres drums to various Councils to the communities within which it exists as a way of improving their waste management practices.

The donations are motivated by the quest to prevent littering in the community. Environmen-tal Manager at the Mine, Annah Moncho says during the past months, the Mine has received many requests from Councils such as Selibe Phikwe, Serowe, and Tonota who were asking for used 2�0 litres drums. The main objec-tive of the request was to use the drums as waste receptacles at household level.

“There are no structures in place to manage waste, so Debs-wana offered a helping hand in this regard and involved itself in the situation. The response was posi-tive because it is the Company’s tradition to be more concerned about the welfare of its immedi-ate communities and the nation at large and also to show its level of commitment to its Corporate

Social Responsibility,” she saidThe Environmental Manager

also said the efforts are more inclined towards sustainability because the drums will save the Councils the resources required to finance waste management activities. She says in so doing, the societal behavior towards manage-ment of waste changes. On the other hand environmental man-

agement promotes the re–use; recycle principles to reduce the amount of waste deposited on the environment.

After donating these drums, we ensure that we make follow ups to check if they have been used for the right purpose and also if they have added value to their day to day lives.

Moncho reiterated that the Mine also donates the collected bottles and cans to Somarelang Tikologo. Moncho says the imple-mentation of ISO 14001 Environ-mental Management Programme has also boosted the Company to comply with waste manage-ment legislation in Botswana. She says that now that the Mine has licensed waste facilities, every initiative that the Mine will embark on will surely be of great impor-tance to the environment not only in the Mine but also the communi-ties that are in its vicinity.

She reveals that so far, the Mine has donated drums to Tonota, Selibe Phikwe and will consider assistance to Serowe too. Selibe Phikwe has received 600 while Tonota got 250 drums.

OLM donates used drums to Councils“Looking at Tonota Sub dis-

trict, they are going to distribute them to villages on the periphery of Tonota. But the challenge lies with the Councils to decide on how they will distribute them. The handover for the drums was held in Tonota in the beginning of July,” she explained.

During the hand over, the Assistant Council Secretary for Tonota, Charles Rabarakwe and Councilor Peter Williams (Chair-man of the Education & Social Services Committee) applauded the Company for their assistance, highlighting that Debswana goes a long way in assisting community outreach projects.

The former employee for Ora-pa and Letlhakane Mines, who was the Safety, Health and Environ-ment (SHE) Manager, Mr. Ewetse Mathaba, praised Debswana for the community efforts as he also benefited from the donation. He pointed out the need to continue to sensitise the community to always think of what they can do for the environment and not the other way round.

GABORONE: For the realisation of the Debs-wana 2010 strategic plan, a lot of initiatives had to be put in place.

One such initiative is the Debswana Shared Services (DSS) project. The major function of the project is to address service delivery challenges associated with existing back office func-tions (Human Resources, Supply Chain Management, Finance and the CCC – Customer Compe-tency Centre) and contain rising operating costs, thereby enabling focus on core business. This will improve service delivery, as some of the processes from the above functions will be accessed from a central point.

In an interview with Phat-simo, Mpho Masupe, Debswana Shared Services Manager, said this initiative seeks to give Debs-wana services a business focus, as well as improving customer and supplier benefits. He said the Company aspires to be compara-tive to the world’s mining houses which are performing well both in terms of technology and service delivery. “If you bench-mark us in some of the technical processes, we are performing respectably well but we have been lagging behind in terms of support services delivery,” he said.

As the major pillars of Debswana’s 2010 Strategic plan are cost containment, revenue improvement, capability build-ing and sustainability, Debswana Shared Services has the task of

identifying factors that can improve service delivery in terms of capabil-ity development and reduce the Company’s costs in terms of the cost containment leg. Services will be provided from the centre to all of Debswana’s employees and suppliers whilst maintaining a pres-ence in the operations through Walk-In Centres. The centres will be equipped with all the relevant technology and manned by trained personnel to assist employees and other customers.

Masupe pointed out that there have been cases in the past where both the employees and suppliers were sent from pillar to post when they needed assistance. He is now confident that with Debswana Shared Services such delays and frustrations will come to an end.

An estimated net present value of P70.2 million will be delivered over a period of five years.

Masupe called on employ-ees to turn up for workshops and training sessions when the project resumes, visit the Debs-wana Shared Services page on the Intranet and ask questions

via email and helpdesks so that they are extensively involved and adequately informed on project progress. He pointed out that as major stakeholders, their contri-butions are extremely valuable.

“The Debswana Shared Services will bring a new culture of working within the services environment and this will ener-gise employees to work harder, smarter and hopefully happier,” he emphasised.

The project is currently on deferment due to its depend-ency on the SAP Project which has been deferred in order to address some readiness issues as stated in briefings to all employ-ees.

“We need both the receiv-ers and providers of service to be passionate about the new Debswana Shared Services. We are happy with the feedback from stakeholders so far but I believe for every new initiative there is always room for improvement,” Masupe said.

DSS will give ‘business focus’ - MasupeMORUPULE: Her name may not feature anywhere in the power structure of Morupule Colliery Limited, but Lil-ian Steady’s hands have worked tirelessly in the Coal Mine Company, helping to place it to its rightful position as Bot-swana’s power house.

Steady, 54, is a cleaner. She has been assigned the Administration block, which has around 24 offices. Her work starts at 6-45 in the morning, every working day.

Upon arrival at work, she emp-ties office dust bins, sweeps office floors and keeps the desks of offic-ers in order. All that is part of her job, a way of preparing the ground for the Administration team to hit the ground running immediately they come in to work.

“They have to begin their work in an environment that inspires them,” she said when asked what motivates her to keep her colleagues’ working environment spotlessly clean.

Her hand has become visible in the Mine’s efforts to assert itself as the country’s solid power house capable of lighting the entire coun-try for many centuries to come.

When everybody is settled in their job, Steady would then find time to slow down, only occasion-ally responding to a duty call to dust off any dirt threatening to ruin her work.

At 3-45 in the afternoon, she

knocks off and heads back home to take care of her children, two of whom are still at school. They are the primary reason she wakes up every morning to go to work.

“I am grateful to the Moru-pule Colliery for having given me a job. They have given me an opportunity to take care of my children, to give them an educa-tion,” she told Phatsimo in an interview recently.

Her ultimate challenge, which she does not foresee losing, is to give her children a good educa-tion. “It is a tough task for a single mother like me, but one that we have no choice but to pass,” she stressed.

Unsung hero: Lillian Steady

contd. on page 7

The donated drums. Insert; Annah Moncho

Steady now

Steady then

Mpho Masupe

7Phatsimo | July 31 | 2007

partnership with BirdLife Botswana to conserve these, and other threatened bird species.

Central to monitoring vultures is information on their nesting sites as this forms the basis for deter-mining the size of the breeding population and breeding success. People who know the locations of any vulture (or other bird of prey) nests, are requested to pass this information on to Chris or Simon at Jwaneng, or Annah at Orapa, or directly to Pete Hancock at BirdLife Botswana (telephone 6865618, e-mail birdlifemaun@botsnet.bw).

JWANENG: Jwaneng Mine is indisputably fa-mous for its rich deposit of diamonds.

However, diamonds are not the only valuable natural resource to be found here; there is another resource, whose value is also governed by supply and demand, and whose scarcity is known worldwide. You may be surprised to find that the resource in ques-tion is a family of birds, since the area around the Mine boasts of over 250 different bird species, many of which are conspicuous and abundant. One group of birds though, the vultures, are globally threatened, and their rarity has attracted conservationists and birders to Jwana Game Park where healthy, breeding populations of two species still occur. They are the impressive Lappet-faced Vul-ture, arguably the king of vultures with an imperial demeanour and a wingspan close to three metres, and the smaller White-backed Vulture, that inveterate wanderer which travels throughout the

sub-region in search of food and suitable breeding areas.

Chris Motsholapheko and Simon Hirschfeld, Debswana em-ployees at the Jwana Game Park, are working together with BirdLife Botswana, a local bird research and conservation agency, to moni-tor the population of these globally threatened birds. “Over the past several years, the Jwana Game Park has attracted large numbers of these two species of vultures, both of which nest here,” said Simon Hirschfeld. “Three of the known 30 Lappet-faced Vulture nests in Botswana are found in our

relatively small park, and we know of numerous White-backed Vul-ture nests that are re-used every year,” he explained. Recently, Morgan Haupfleish, Ecologist from De Beers in South Africa, when visiting the Mine, counted a record 6 Lappet-faced and 96 White-backed Vultures drinking and bathing at Eland waterhole and this information alerted BirdLife Bot-swana to the importance of the game park for vultures. “We are currently conducting a nation-wide study of vultures in Botswana, in conjunction with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, to

determine their population sizes, and identify potential and real threats to their numbers,” said Pete Hancock, Conservation Of-ficer for BirdLife Botswana. “The local knowledge of staff at Jwana has helped us tremendously, and has highlighted the vital impor-tance of this area, especially for the Lappet-faced Vulture”.

Another potential site of im-portance for vultures is the Orapa Game Park, associated with the Orapa Mine. Annah Moncho, the Environmental Manager for the Mine, and her team are also on the lookout for nests here, and are in the process of building a

Vultures choose to roost in Jwaneng

JWANENG: Jwaneng Mine Security Super-intendent, Thatayaone Keitumetse talks about his life and job with passion. The ease and confidence with which he talks about his work and achievements show that this is a man who takes great pride in what he does for a living.

KT, as affectionately called by friends, is one of the people whose employment at Debswana has blossomed and metamopho-sised through the years. It is a well known fact that Debswana has literally turned the destiny of the nation around, and it is equally true that the company also cares for its employees, which is an espousal of one of its values. This is so with Thatayaone whose terti-ary education was mainly financed by the company. At the beginning of July, Superintendent Keitumetse graduated at Gaborone Interna-

tional Conference Centre (GICC) under the University of South Africa banner (UNISA) with a B.Tech degree in Security and Risk Management.

Thatayaone started as a securi-ty guard in �988 and rose through the ranks until he reached the position he’s in today. He joined the company as a Junior Certificate (JC) holder and privately up-

graded himself to Cambridge level through correspondence courses. In 1994 he was promoted from Security Guard to Assistant Secu-rity Officer. In 1996, he was spon-sored by Debswana for a National Diploma in Security Management for 3 years through a correspond-ence course at Technikon SA which, at that time, was the only institution that offered the course.

“I was the best student in Corporate Investigation and I got the Farnie Bosch Award in that academic year,” he said.

This articulate Superintend-ent comes from Moshupa village. In 2000 he ascended the ladder to become the Senior Security Officer and in 2003 was then promoted to the current position of Security Superintendent. He explains to Phatsimo that he has experience in working diligently in Security systems, access control and risk production.

KT is a man of contrasting qualities. He is a member of the Jwaneng Mine Corporate Gov-ernance Team and also an AIDS champion, where he among other roles, oversees Security peer

education and also oversees the Security SHE program.

While pursuing his B.Tech degree, some of the core courses that he covered included Risk Management, advanced Corporate Investment, research methodolo-gies and strategic management.

“The good thing about the course is that it had a more hands on approach, where we were not just bombarded with theoretical material. We were each given companies during practicals for which we made projects on risk assessment. My practicals were at BMW South Africa and I’ve had a fantastic experience,” he said.

At Jwaneng Mine, he reminded Phatsimo, he has helped develop Security development for Jwaneng Mine MTP to the new one and also did continuous risk assess-ment in all the plants.

“One thing that I consider an achievement was when I achieved the �00 percent green audit clas-sification,” he said with pride.

He says after that achievement, he developed an audit tool which he now uses for his audits. He says the tool has helped him to get the

green audits classifications. He calls it ‘the green house approach.’

“It has really helped me with the preparation for my audits. I get audited 4 times a year. My last 2 audits were green, which meant that everything was in order.”

As the interview comes to an end, Superintendent Keitumetse changes the tone of the conversa-tion and develops a serious one. He has a philosophy he wants to share with his Debswana family members.

“You cannot do anything with your past, but you can shape your today. Your today will definitely affect your tomorrow. So do bet-ter now! Don’t give up when you fail to achieve some goal that you set for yourself. It’s never too late to realize your dreams.”

Superintendent Thatayaone Keitumetse is thankful to his family for all their support to him through hard and trying times. He singles out his mother as one person who struggled with him from his teen ages and even after the demise of his father. His wife Irene and two children are pillars of strength to him.

Passion vaults Thatayaone up the ladder

Lappet-faced vulture (Photo; M Muller) Chris and Simon at Jwaneng Vulture Nest (Photo: P Hancock))

“As you know, that there are no jobs in Botswana. There is no luxury of choosing jobs especially for people with no education,” she added.

While she candidly admits that cleaning was never her dream job, she was quick to

point out that her attitude towards her job has changed. “I am no longer doing the job for purposes of earning a living, which includes taking care of my four children. I am now enjoying every bit of my job,” she said.

“I think what makes me com-

fortable with the job is the attitude of people I work for. The Admin-istration team is a group of great people, very friendly,” she said, her voice depicting her admiration of them.

“For that I think I am prepared to stay with the company for as

Lilian contd. from page 6

long as I am allowed.” It is a feeling Steady professes comes from deep down in her heart.

She repeated rather emphati-cally, that the labor environment is just not kind to “people of my caliber hence they have to hold fast to what they have in hand.”

The unkindness of the envi-ronment is best explained by the fact that two of her children who have competed secondary school are still to get a job, forcing her to take care of them together with their two younger siblings.

Thatayaone Keitumetse

8 Phatsimo | July 31 | 2007

Surfing the globeCat ate my £9000 Dia-mond

USA: Veteran actress Dora Bry-an has accused her cat of eating a £9000 diamond from her ring. And she is battling insurers who are refusing to pay out on her claim. Dora, who played Auntie Roz in Last of the Summer Wine, said the Moggy - called Kitty Puss - ate the gem after working it free from her gold ring. The 84-year-old star said she has not taken off the 3.2�-carat diamond ring since she bought it in �993 - but the grey and peach cat likes to play with it.

She said: “Kitty Puss likes to play with flashy objects and she must have worked the stone

loose. “I’ve still got the ring on my

hand but the stone has gone. I am so upset. I really love that ring. She is a naughty little Kitty.”

Turkmen president awards himself with large gold and diamond ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan: Turkmenistan’s president awarded himself a large gold and diamond pendant and issued coins with his portrait to celebrate his 50th birthday, state media reported, in an echo of lavish honors bestowed upon his autocratic predecessor.

Gurbanguli Berdymukhame-dov decorated himself with the Motherland Order — a gold

pendant bedecked with diamonds on a massive golden chain lined with gems — for his “outstand-ing achievements,” the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper said. It said the piece weighed nearly one kilogram (more than 2 pounds).

As part of the award, Ber-dymukhamedov also received US$20,000 (15,000) and a 30 per-cent salary and pension increase, it said.

“All my efforts are aimed at ensuring that Turkmens lead a decent life, that people don’t need anything, that they are happy,” Berdymukhamedov said at the award ceremony, according to the report. “I would like to stress this once again today: I will not step back from my plans and will con-

tinue doing all I can for the sake of the country and people.”

The former Soviet Central Asian nation of 5 million has mas-sive natural gas resources but is plagued by widespread poverty, with an average monthly salary of about US$90 (€66).

When 8,601 diamonds are a collector’s best friendLONDON — There is more than a hint of the fairground in Damien Hirst’s new show at London’s White Cube gallery, the centre-piece of which is a now-famous diamond-crusted skull. In fact, the skull is quite breathtaking to behold. It’s called ‘For the Love of God’, because that is allegedly

what Hirst’s mother said when he told her about it. The jewelers who crafted the piece, Bentley & Skinner, claim to have used only conflict-free diamonds.

Here’s a human skull coated in platinum and covered in 8,601 diamonds. One rumor has it that George Michael is among those interested in making a bid. The skull carries a £50-million (about $105-million) price tag. At another time, this might seem excessive, the triumph of a fat wallet over good sense, but in the London art market right now, it seems there’s no limit to what people will spend. Even the sky’s just a stepping stone.

JWANENG: During the recent tournament that comprised affiliated member schools of the Conference of Heads of Private Schools (CHOPS) in Botswana under the Southern region, Acacia primary school under �3’s dis-played an amazing performance that the school has not witnessed in many years.

In a tournament that was played on one single day, the sensational boys of Jwaneng wal-loped four teams, lost one game and drew one game. The school managed to beat even the schools that used to give them a run for their money in many years. This

time around, the boys came out victorious.

A coach for the team Peter Dickinson, who is affectionately called ‘J’, is also the senior teacher at the primary school. He gives all the credit to his players who have stood the test of time and consistently displayed a mature performance during difficult games. He mentions that team work, not individual skill the main ingredi-

ent for their winning spree. He explains that the school had 40 boys whom they divided into two groups and selected the best. The players, according to the coach were skilful and enthusiastic and had a high level of discipline and commitment.

Dickinson, who coaches along-side with Norman Stratford, says in their traditional fixtures, Acacia primary displayed their skillfulness

Soccer Team on winning spreeby winning four games without conceding a goal. As a result, some players from the team were selected to represent the Southern Botswana CHOPS team.

“Having five of our boys being selected to the squad is a major achievement for us. I must confess that we have never had this achievement in a long time,” he said, the pride and joy very evident in his face.

Dickinson mentions that their sizzling performance is not just a season’s result but a culmination of many years of intensive coaching at junior levels from under 8, giving them basic skills of soccer.

“That is why I can’t take credit for the performance because the boys have been given training from junior levels; I only met them as groomed as they are now. They have long been initiated into the world of soccer. But apart from that, these boys were disciplined and my job was to help them maintain it and also instill it in

those who lagged behind,” he said.Dickinson has a strong belief

that the aim of sport is to teach the players to get life skills such as good communication and team work to make a concerted effort to get desired results. He says these skills are not only useful in sport but in every enterprise in life. He says Acacia primary is blessed to train and play in excellent pitch conditions and better facilities, thanks to Jwaneng Mine which continues to maintain the ground for the school.

Peter Dickinson has been coaching for Acacia for six years and he’s personally satisfied with the performance of his boys, given the fact that they have managed to beat some of the teams that train soccer throughout the year, unlike them who only play soccer sea-sonally. The primary school plays different sporting codes through-out the year such as Cricket, swim-ming, netball and athletics.

improve their chances of getting good exam results.”

This very thoughtful young lady believes that a positive atti-tude and an appreciation of what we have will help us respond to life’s challenges. “Too many of us take for granted the benefits we experience – I want our nation to appreciate the advantages dia-monds have brought us, they are there for all of us to see. Until very recently I had not heard of Diamonds for Development.”

Unami is looking forward to going home soon on an attach-ment at Orapa, then she will have just one more year of study before returning to Debswana and the world of employment. “But I shall always look back on the privilege of being sent to study abroad. It has opened up so many opportunities; I have ex-perienced a different culture and a different way of doing things. I have made many friends from all over the world.”

UK students contd. from page 3

377 thousand 378 pula 81 thebe (P10, 377, 378, 81).

As part of its contribution to sport development in Botswana, Letsholo said Debswana has pre-viously sponsored various sport-ing codes such as netball, with a recent donation of 99 thousand pula donated to the Botswana Volleyball Association (BVA).

“This is in line with the Com-pany’s Corporate Social Invest-ment policy which has sport development as one of its focus areas,” he said.

Letsholo said as a world class company, Debswana takes the health and wellness of its employees very seriously and

continuously strives to equip them with the best facilities available. He said it is for this reason that the Orapa and Letlhakane mines found it necessary to put up vari-ous sporting facilities within the township for the health of the employees. These include netball, volley- ball, basketball, golf and bowling pitches.

The mines have similarly extended the programme to its schools, providing excellent sport facilities at all its 3 primary schools. He points out that just last year, the Livingstone House Special Needs’ section made the mines proud by emerging winners at a national tournament in Gaborone.

“I am confident that the stadium will act as a training ground for these youngsters as they prepare to participate at an international level in China, sometime this year.

Itekeng stadium has various components including the athletic track, which, Letsholo hoped will be used as a grooming ground for future stars in the field.

“We are busy looking into how best we can, in the future, collaborate with Botswana Foot-ball Association (BFA) to extend this partnership to local teams for the use of the Itekeng stadium as a training ground for some of our teams, especially those in the region,” Letsholo said.

After the stadium was duly opened by the minister, the people watched a thrilling soccer encounter as the senior national team, Zebras locked horns with their neighboring counterpart, Chipolopolo in a friendly en-counter. The Zebras walloped Chipolopolo 3-2 in a post match penalty shootout. Chipolopolo took their 5 shoots with the most fearful Collins Mbesuma and Ben Mwanze scoring while others missed. Zebra’s Pontsho Moloi, Tshepo Motlhabankwe and Vincent Phiri found the back of the net, thereby lifting the joy and the mood for the Itekeng official opening celebrations.

Acacia Primary School

Itekeng Stadium contd. from page 1

Peter Dickinson with his team