24/07/2026
One day we shall release an official statement. But let's just know that the majority of Batswana builders are generally lazy, lack the necessary stamina and endurance: cannot endure tough situations; talk all day long but produce little; not to mention endless excuses and explanations, instead of working. As if that's not enough; they steal and mix work with pleasure and personal matters. I'm referring to those under employment by a company like say us: not individual builders.
To give an example of the recent renovation project in Shoshong (below): we had paired a Motswana and a Zim guy for the first time: the Motswana guy holds a qualification from a technical college, CITF. The same Motswana guy kept going to his home village, Serowe, multiple times; and at some point asked the Zim guy (we later learnt ) to do some of his work with the promise to give him part of his pay!
Huge huge disappointment majority of these local guys when it comes to real construction work. They only seem to do better in small jobs like tiling etc. Even the hoarse power needed desperately in construction is not there. We've tried in the past and still try to give them priority over Zims, but hey (gwa pala) , (kunzima). Most can only focus for 2 minutes!
Even those from technical colleges. One gentleman for example struggled for one week to do a simple setting at Ramotswa: a graduate with CITF. When we finally went to check - he had basically done nothing, and we had to start all over. The speed is also a major concern with these guys.
We are not going to put up with this anymore in the name of citizen empowerment. We are not here for race. We are in business. We need to produce results. The stakes are high: the pressure is high. As for stealing. That's a story for another day. They steal and lie like they drink water! This is for you people who tend to glorify local builders over Zims. It's because you are not in the system. It's easy to talk from outside.
Of course we have bad Zims too in this country: pretenders and chancers. But that does not bother us at all. With our experience - we can easily pick that very early and remove the guy from the site in case they are so bad that they can't be trained. But that seldom happens!
