GABORONE, Aug. 24 — Botswana’s Ministry of Higher Education and the China-invested Khoemacau Copper Mining company on Monday signed a collaboration agreement to establish a Mining Center of Excellence at Maun Technical College in North West District of the southern African country, to train technical workers for the local mining sector.
Speaking at the event held in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, Minister of Higher Education Prince Maele said the partnership shows “a new way of thinking about skill development, technical education, relationship of education and industry,” to fill the industry skill gap.
The agreement is meant to produce graduates who are “skilled, employable, innovative, adaptable and globally competitive,” bringing the classroom closer to the workplace so that “theory must meet practice,” and knowledge translates into productivity, said Maele.
He said the goal is for young people to leave school ready to work, cultivating not just job seekers but problem-solvers and entrepreneurs equipped to enter the workforce with practical, industry-relevant skills. He noted that he is “looking forward to a productive, enduring, and mutually beneficial relationship” with the project.
Chen Dexin, chairman of China Minmetals Corporation, parent company of Khoemacau Copper Mining company’s investor MMG, termed the mine project as a bridge of friendship between China and Botswana, and pledged the corporation’s long-term commitment to the country’s socio-economic development.
The mining center of excellence aims to build local capacity through world-class training and produce a substantial pool of skilled workers, he added, describing its purpose as extending far more than running training courses to include lasting community and regional benefit.
Minister of International Affairs Phenyo Butale said the country’s relationship with China has evolved beyond financial assistance toward skills transfer, which is successful in China’s development.
He described the center as a step toward building a pipeline of Batswana technicians and engineers who will eventually lead, not just work in, the mining sector.
Minister of Minerals and Energy Bogolo Kenewendo said the government is focused on making work-based learning standard and letting industry help shape curricula, pointing to the Kalahari Copper Belt and other base-metal deposits as key to diversifying an economy long dominated by diamonds.
Botswana’s Minister of Labor and Home Affairs Pius Mokgware and Chinese Ambassador to Botswana Fan Yong also attended the event, which featured traditional music and song performance of Botswana. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
