TSOGWANE COMMENDS DIAMOND COMPANIES

Vice President Slumber Tsogwane has commended the Debswana Diamond Company and Lucara Botswana for their contribution towards the Covid-19 relief fund.

The Debswana Diamond Company donated P24million while Lucara Botswana donated P6.5million.

The Vice President expressed gratitude, adding that the donations would go a long way in helping the government to fight Covid-19 as well as assist it’s citizens whose livelihoods have been impacted by the pandemic.

VP Tsogwane said, Batswana are a nation that is well known for their benevolence in times of need, as they offered their best during the building of the University of Botswana, and for that the same spirit must be captivated in the fight against Covid-19.

Meanwhile Debswana Managing Director Lynette Armstrong said of the P24million donated by Debswana P14million has already been spent and P10million will be spent going forward.

She said the P14million is being spent on the pandemic preparedness of hospitals and support to communities, as well as procuring related medical supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing equipment. She said Debswana will continue to support communities in the best way possible even post the Covid-19 crisis.

For her part Lucara Botswana Managing Director Naseem Lahri explained that, of the P6.5milion donated, P3million went straight to the relief fund, while P3.5million has been channeled to food hampers especially in the Boteti area where they operate.

She said they have also set aside P500 000 to assist shelters set up for victims of gender based violence since such cases continue to rise during this extreme social distancing period.