Debswana May Lay Off Over 1,000 Workers

The layoffs of at least a fifth of Debswana’s workforce comes at the end of a year of reduced mining activities, a result of a decline in consumer spending in the luxury goods market.

“The company is reviewing its operations and we have informed workers that there is a likelihood that their jobs may be affected,” Debswana spokeswoman Esther Kanaimba told Bloomberg. “Our strategy has been to contain costs, improve revenue for shareholders, maintain the effectiveness of the company and ensure sustainability.”

In a lengthier report by the Botswana Gazette published Wednesday, the newspaper states that Debswana will lay off 1,278 employees when the company begins to implement its operations review in March.

Ongoing talks between management and the Botswana Mining Workers Union (BMWU) are taking place in order to determine how to implement Debswana’s operations review.