Botswana July 2006 |
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| Non-citizen artisans hired to meet demand, (Botswana Daily News, 2006-07-17):-The employment of non-citizen artisans by the mines is largely an issue of demand exceeding supply, the Assistant Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Olifant Mfa, said.Mfa said a total of 194 non-citizen and 826 citizen artisans were employed in Botswana’s mining sector. With respect to the suitability of locally trained artisans, he said Botswana Training Authority (BOTA) registered and accredited institutions and courses provide trainees with adequate practical skills to work in the mining industry. “Indeed, some mining companies do provide artisans graduating from the training institutions with additional training to align them to their specific job requirements,” he said. Mfa said BOTA, which was a regulatory body to develop and implement a quality assurance system, and to monitor the quality of skills training in the country through registration and accreditation of training institutions, courses and trainers, continued to do its work. “It does this in consultation with relevant industries and thus I remain optimistic that appropriate standards will be reached,” he added. He was responding to a question from Gaborone South MP Akanyang Magama who wanted to know how many non-citizen artisans were employed in the mining industry. He also wanted know whether it was true that Batswana graduated from various local institutions without the necessary practical skills to work as artisans in the mining industry, hence the employment of expatriates and if so, what action did the government intend to take to remedy the situation? Responding to another question, Mfa said government security guards on duty at ministerial residences were allowed toilet facilities at such ministerial residences. Consequently, he said there were no plans to provide facilities in that regard. He was responding to a question from Tonota South MP Pono Moatlhodi who had asked the minister whether it was true that there were no toilet facilities available at ministerial residences for government security guards on duty. Moatlhodi also wanted to know that “if so, does the minister not view the whole thing as cruel and unhealthy and when can proper toilet facility be availed?” | |
South African Migration Project (SAMP) - Queen's University - http://www.queensu.ca/samp |