BCL: the Story of Hope from Selebi Phikwe

Some days ago on the 7^th October 2016 in town Selebi-Phikwe, at which,  I have been residing, I heard the Government of Botswana liquidated the great mining and smelting company, BCL. This company has been in this town for 60 years because it begun to operate in august 1956. The town has been growing because of the presence of BCL. It becomes the only company that holds the town and other businesses in this town. I come to have an interest in this company not only because of its reputation for this town, but also because of its impacts economically and socially for the people. This liquidation rises up some questions for me to think and to reflect on it, such as, what will the future of this town? What will be the situation of its thousands of workers and their families? What will be its impacts on other small businesses around town?

Some business people I encountered told me about their worries. Some of them have direct-business relations to the BCL; some sell their services to BCL; some shop owners worry about their dropping in goods-sells. Moreover, many families of the BCL’s workers are sad because of this situation. Government of Botswana, having a big stake and responsibility for the BCL and knowing the impacts of liquidation for the social, politic, and economical spares of its people, has been in talk with the managements of the BCL, the local government, and with the workers to take a right decision for the best of the whole country.

However, looking and experiencing this situation, many people I met told me that they have a hope that one day it will be okay. They told me also to pray for the best coming out from the Mines.

In my reflection, I think about there are seasons in life: there is time to plant and to harvest; there is time to be born and to die; there is time of laughs and mourns; and there is time for everything. So when I see this situation, I ask myself: “Has the time of harvests in BCL finished? Or is it a time for us all, starting from those in decision making to those in laboring areas, in administrations, to think creatively about diversifying our economy dependency on mining?’ I then think of SPEDU: Selebi Phikwe Economy Diversification Unit, on which, this town and region has put their trust on, has a huge and challenging responsibility for the people on this town and region.

People of this town are very sad, stressed, and worried because of this liquidation but they have a hope on the Government and they have hope.

What can we learn from this situation is:

1. We must always be prepared: we cannot live as if life was all in roses; life has its ups and downs; life has its own challenges and difficulties. Therefore, starting from now, we must prepare ourselves by being creative looking for opportunity to develop our living or by learning some skills that can open up some opportunities for us.

2. Everything has an end: there are no lasting jobs, no lasting harvests, no lasting diamonds, and no lasting coppers. So when there is a time of plenty, we must save and think to make use of the plenty for next challenges where there is no harvest.

3. Everything has a purpose: there is a purpose of having a mining and smelting BCL and it has fulfilled its purpose by developing this town and this region; however, the liquidity of the BCL also has a purpose for us a town or as a country. But we must look from the big picture of life as country. This liquidity is making us think to be uncountable, transparent, and professional in every areas of our work.