Letšeng Diamonds invests in education

Four new classrooms boost top-performing Ntlholohetsane Primary School

MOSA MAOENG

MOKHOTLONG – In a significant boost for education in the Mokhotlong District, Ntlholohetsane Primary School received four new classrooms last week under Letšeng Diamond Mine’s Corporate Social Responsibility and Investment (CSRI) programme.

The handover marks a milestone for the school, which has consistently produced strong academic results since its establishment in 2000 and now serves over 1 000 learners.

Built over two decades ago, Ntlholohetsane Primary has earned a reputation as the top-performing school in the district, with its learners achieving exceptional results despite previous infrastructure limitations. The new classrooms address overcrowding and provide a safer, more conducive learning environment, aligning with Letšeng’s commitment to supporting education as part of its broader community development strategy. 
Letšeng Diamonds, co-owned by Gem Diamonds (70 percent) and government (30 percent), has prioritized education, healthcare, and sustainable agriculture in its CSRI initiatives. The classroom project reflects Letšeng’s core value of positively contributing to the communities where it operates.

This initiative follows earlier efforts, including the construction of water supply systems and support for dairy and poultry farming projects in Mokhotlong District. 

The mine has also invested in long-term educational growth through scholarships for Basotho students studying natural resource development, with numerous scholarships awarded to date and several recipients now employed at Letšeng.

During the event at the school’s grounds, Principal ‘Matsebo Tšita noted that the school started with 140 learners and due to its great performance in 2023 they had reached 850 learners.

She proudly added that when Letšeng built classrooms in 2023 their roll had increased to 1000 learners with the only school in Mokhotlong to accommodate that number of learners.

Tšita wholeheartedly thanked Letšeng Mine highlighting that the school was overcrowded before the assistance of Letšeng Diamonds and that during the Covid-19 teachers at the school, were overwhelmed.

She said they then sought assistance from the ministry of education who then approached the mine on their behalf. Before then, the principal indicated they had lost hope.

She said the school had sought assistance all over without receiving anything but the mine came through.

She outlined challenges the school encounters stating that even though the mine has assisted with the classrooms, they still need fencing.

She said: “The school is inside the village here…we sometimes find our crops destroyed by wondering animals. Sometimes we find classroom windows broken. Parents have had to find a guard to keep the property secured.”

Tšita added that the school is also facing serious lack of toilets. She indicated that when the school was built in 2000, it initially had toilets to accommodate only about only 140 learners.

The current number she said far exceeds the number originally anticipated and pleaded with the mine to either assist with the fencing or by building toilets.

She further noted that the school uses water from the Water and Sewerage Company (WASCO) which means they have to pay for the water monthly. She said the bill for the water is usually too high for them, stating that a water borehole will be of huge assistance.  

Letšeng Diamonds Mine Head of Finance ‘Makhomo Motaung, indicated that the building of the four classrooms commenced in 2023 with the amount used for all the necessary materials being over a million through the support of Letšeng.

“This marks the mine’s main mandate which is to give back to the community surrounding the mine,” she noted.

She said they expect the learners and teacher to take good care of the classrooms so that even those coming after will benefit.

She added that, “Letšeng wishes to see the district grow as well as the community surrounding it. Our social responsibility involves a lot of things but above all, education is the key. We are not only looking at Ntlholohetsane Primary School but the Mokhotlong community as a whole and we will as well bring back to other community members even if it is not just in schools but in many other things.”

 Boiketlo Letsoepa, a Grade 7 student at Ntlholohetsane Primary School, also shared words of gratitude for the gesture by Letšeng noting that the fewer classrooms they had were too crowded hindering the ability for proper learning and teaching.

She said they are aware the management of the mine has a lot of choices when it comes to donating and sponsoring and that they are grateful that the mine decided to choose them this time around.

Letšeng’s approach to CSRI is to establish and maintain strong relationships with local communities, other stakeholders and the entire nation as part its business strategy. Implementation of the projects is guided by the company’s CSRI policy and a five-year CSRI strategy.

Letšeng supports projects that focus on improving the quality of life of the communities living around the mining lease area and Basotho at large whose sustainability will outlive the life of the mine.

The mine emphasises active participation and ownership of the projects by the communities, while giving backstopping technical support and training in areas of project management, governance, finance and sustainability.

Letšeng’s infrastructure projects extend beyond schools. The mine has rehabilitated roads, built boreholes for clean water access, and introduced bioremediation facilities to mitigate environmental impacts. 

The handover ceremony underscored Letšeng’s broader vision of fostering sustainable development in the country. The mine’s CSRI programme aims to create alternatives to employment and improve livelihoods while addressing systemic challenges like resource scarcity and climate vulnerability. 

For Ntlholohetsane Primary, the new classrooms symbolize hope for continued academic excellence and community growth. With Letšeng’s support, the school is well-positioned to maintain its status as a beacon of education in Mokhotlong district.