Botswana’s mining sector woes hit an all-time low – by Mpho Tebele (The Southern Times – November 24, 2017)

Gaborone – The future of Botswana’s mining sector hangs in the balance as eight mines were closed since 2010, shedding more than 7,500 jobs in the process, according to a report compiled by the Ministry of Mineral Resources.

With a population of less than 2 million, the number of jobs lost in the last seven years is a great concern to the authorities. Botswana is dependent on the mining sector and it earns the bulk of its revenue from the same sector.

Minister of Minerals, Sadique Kebonang, informed Parliament through a report compiled by his ministry that some of the mines are still placed under liquidation while others have been reopened.

While Kebonang would not say how many out of the 7,593 people, who had lost their jobs since 2010, were absorbed when some mines were reopened, he said job losses due to closures was a burden to the country’s ailing economy.

Mowana Copper Mine, which was owned by Messina Copper Botswana, was liquidated and closed in 2015 and shed 500 jobs. Kebonang said futures plans for the mine is that it was transferred to a company called Leboam Holdings and resumed operation on April 2017.

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