18 Apr 2023

Jwaneng Mine General Manager, Koolatotse Koolatotse has pledged support for Botswana’s team destined for World Para Championships in Paris, France.

Koolatotse made the pledge during the inaugural Jwaneng Mine General Manager’s Paralympic Games in Jwaneng, which was intended to promote diversity, equity and inclusion through sport as well as providing a platform for people with disabilities to interact over the weekend.

The initiative saw people with various disabilities from across the country engaging in sporting activities that include Athletics, wheelchair Basketball, Goal Ball and para Table Tennis.

He said Debswana’s strategy was to unearth human diamonds, and Jwaneng Mine has thus set itself a target to employ 100 differently-bodied people this year. “We have already hired 26 of that target”.
He revealed that the sponsorship would include providing accommodation, meals and sporting facilities for the team as it prepared for the competitions.

He further said they aimed to empower 100 people living with disabilities in other areas that were not directly linked to the mine operations, as well as engaging people artists with disabilities in their
Koolatotse noted that Jwaneng Mine was committed to creating human diamonds through such initiatives to ensure sustainability and diversity.

“Just like diamonds, everything that we stand for should be forever and sustainable. We intend to create human diamonds through empowering people who are differently-bodied by embracing their various capabilities,” he noted.
He called for mindset change across organisations to ensure that people with disabilities were included in mainstream operations according to their capabilities.
Jwaneng Mayor Olga Ditsie applauded Jwaneng Mine leadership for creating a platform that promoted unity and equity for the able-bodied and people with disabilities. She also implored other leaders and organisations to emulate such initiatives to build an inclusive nation.

“We may not have the capacity to hire them but let us be the voice of the voiceless,” she said.
A representative of those who qualified for the World Para Championships, Keatlaretse Mabote said applauded Jwaneng Mine for availing their facilities for preparations, urging other stakeholders to also support the team to augment efforts by the Paralympic Association of Botswana. He lamented shortage of sporting facilities, which he said resulted in inadequate training. ENDS