06 Oct 2024

Growing up surrounded by mines influenced Dr Obolokile Obakeng to also aim to work in the sector.

A resident of Letlhakane in Boteti District, Dr Obakeng's childhood dream was to work in the nearby secluded diamond mining town of Orapa.

Fortunately for the young Dr Obakeng, he had an aptitude for the required science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects for the mining industry, and he ultimately graduated with a geological survey degree.

 He landed a job at the Department of Geological Surveys and quickly rose up the ladder before being appointed director at the Department of Water Affairs.

He was roped into the Botswana team negotiating with De Beers in June last year, which earned him the country's highest award of Naledi Ya Botswana during the recent 58^th Independence awards ceremony.

Grateful for the award and opportunity to serve the country, Dr Obakeng credits the community of his home village for nurturing him, saying his coveted award was also for them.

Naledi Ya Botswana, the highest and most prestigious award was bestowed on a few individuals for their outstanding service to the country.

Dr Obakeng was part of the Botswana team that negotiated the ground breaking De Beers renewal agreement for the sorting, valuing, marketing and sale of Debswana diamonds as well as mining licences.

The new sales agreement has a provision that allows the country to increase its purchase and sale of diamonds from the current 25 per cent to 50 per cent over the next 10 years.

The new agreement compels De Beers to set up a development fund with an initial seed capital of P1 billion building to a cap of P10 billion to drive investment projects that would diversify the economy.

Dr Obakeng expressed gratitude to President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi for selecting him into the negotiating team.  

He said receiving the prestigious honour was not only symbolic of what he had done in the team, but was equally recognising his journey while working for the nation. He also noted the contribution of Letlhakane residents for nurturing him into what he was today.

Dr Obakeng said what they achieved as the negotiating team would increase the government's stake in the sale of diamonds through the Okavango Diamond Company.  In addition, he said more Batswana interested in doing business in the diamond value chain would benefit from increasing opportunities.

He also said the new agreement would unlock more opportunities and ensure the country had a share in the value chain of the diamond industry.

“Batswana will have the opportunity to learn more of the diamond sector and not only mining, but also polishing, cutting and producing a variety of diamond finished products,” he said.  Another recipient, Reverend Dr Sinah Teemane was bestowed with the Presidential Order of Meritorious Service (PMS) for services of courage and devotion to duty benefiting Botswana or any community or organisation.

The chief executive officer of Good Samaritan Association was also appointed a marriage officer by the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs in 2013.

Her notable contributions include designing and implementing community projects as well as integrating HIV into primary health. Her projects cover youth and women economic empowerment, HIV/AIDS, adolescents sexual reproductive health rights, gender-based violence, orphans and vulnerable children as well as alcohol and substance abuse.

Dr Teemane noted that HIV and AIDS was a serious pandemic impacting individuals, households and the national economy.

She explained that her focus was ‘primarily on women and young people,’ and that her community based projects were focused on gender-based violence.

She said she recently completed a three-year project, which was focused on alcohol and substance abuse funded by the Ministry of Health to the tune of P3.8 million.

She said her next project would be funded by the Global Fund and carried out through ACHAP, adding that it would be focused on adolescent girls and young women. She said her interests were on empowering the girl-child and women as they were vulnerable to economic challenges.

Mr Kenson Kgaga, the recipient of the Presidential Certificate of Honour (PCH), which is awarded for long and faithful service to Botswana, is the first Motswana to become a professional guide and has meaningfully contributed to the community and nation for over 40 years. Mr Kgaga, the founding chairperson of Botswana Guide Association (BOGA) is also well known for single-handedly negotiating with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism for allocation of camp sites to BOGA in the Okavango Delta to benefit the local tourism businesses.

He founded BOGA in 2000 to champion citizen empowerment in the tourism sector.

The Maun resident was delighted by the award, saying it was important that the nation acknowledged and recognised what he had done to the tourism sector while he was still alive.

He said while working in the tourism sector, he was primarily concerned by the low number of Batswana who were engaged in the sector.  Mr Kgaga said he has tirelessly fought for what he believed in, which was encouraging more locals to venture into tourism businesses.

 He said through his efforts, more and more Batswana developed interest, eventually joining the sector.  Mr Kgaga said some were given tour guide licences, professional hunting licences and those for operating boats.  “I am delighted that through my efforts, a satisfactory number of Batswana are now exploring the tourism value chain,” he said.

Mr Kgaga said through his efforts some locals were accorded an opportunity to operate camp sites in wildlife reserve areas such as Moremi, Chobe and Okavango.

He is of the view that what he has done to the tourism sector has placed him in a position to be recognised and receive and award from President Masisi.

“I was brave enough to not only devote my efforts to something that will benefit me as an individual but rather pleaded for the benefit of the whole nation. I was focused on doing something that will benefit many and ultimately the whole economy of the country,” said Mr Kgaga.

“I believe that has put me in a position for government to view my effort as important and immensely contributing towards nation building,” he added. ENDS