Minister Letsholathebe received state of the art equipment from Germany

The Minister of Education and Skills Development Hon. Dr. Douglas Letsholathebe had received state of the art equipment for Hydraulics and Mechatronics worth over 20 Million Pula donated to Construction Industry Trust Fund (CITF) by the Federal Republic of Germany through VDMA (German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association).

Minister Letsholathebe praised the collaboration between VDMA and the Government of Botswana, which came about as a result of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on September 12, 2017, to train semi-skilled and skilled artisans and to provide equipment, tools, and technical support. VDMA is made up of more than 3400 German mechanical engineering companies.

The donated equipment, which includes training tools, hydraulics workstations, curriculum, and specialists, according to Hon. Letsholathebe, will go a long way toward fostering the development of skills that will be crucial to the growth of Botswana’s economy.

Minister Letsholathebe emphasized that since the partnership’s inception in 2017, a total of 402 trainees—including graduates—have received training in hydraulics and mechatronics. These trainees came from a variety of organisations, including the Water Utilities Corporation, Botswana Police Service, Botswana Defense Force, Serowe Brigades, Morupule Colliery, Blackwood Hodge (JCB), DaBravo Systems, and Kgalagadi Brewery.

Her Excellency Margit Hellwig-Boete, the German Ambassador to Botswana, stated that the donated machinery represents cutting-edge technology and a wise investment in the country’s mining and manufacturing industries. Most significantly, Ambassador Hellwig-Boete noted that this is a fantastic investment in the hearts and minds of young people because only when you have the correct tools and knowledge of what the industry’s future holds will you be able to do great things.

Furthermore, Ambassador Hellwig-Boete implored CITF and Botswana to make use of this wonderful investment for the future of this country.