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Mark Cutifani, Chairman of De Beers Group and Chief Executive of Anglo American, will today highlight the importance of education to Botswana saying that “while what has been achieved since independence deserves global applaud, we should acknowledge that education has been a principal enabler in delivering Botswana’s achievements since independence”.

In his address to the University of Botswana Foundation annual gala dinner, Mr Cutifani will say that “the demand for quality education will continue to grow, supporting the creation of a virtuous learning and development cycle and economic growth”.

Mr Cutifani will detail three issues around education that need to be addressed:

• The challenge for universities is to send out “self-reliant graduates who realise that secure jobs for life, either in government or business, are increasingly rare”.
• Worldwide “we need a new inclusive approach to solving the problem of unemployment, directed at nourishing entrepreneurism and the development of small and medium sized enterprises”.
• Supported by Anglo American and De Beers, Tokafala, the enterprise development scheme in Botswana, “reinforces the concept of self-reliance derived from possessing the necessary skills to succeed”.

In summing up, Mr Cutifani will encourage everyone present to continue to support education and skills development in Botswana and “invest in our youth, because they are the future – the future of this great country, and the future of the industries that will underpin its economy”.

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Notes to Editors

A full copy of the speech can be found below.

Contact

Nicole Senuku
De Beers Botswana
[email protected]

About The De Beers Group of Companies

De Beers is a member of the Anglo American group. Established in 1888, De Beers is the world’s leading diamond company with unrivalled expertise in the exploration, mining and marketing of diamonds. Together with its joint venture partners, De Beers employs more than 20,000 people (directly and as contractors) across the diamond pipeline, and is the world’s largest diamond producer by value, with mining operations in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. As part of the company’s operating philosophy, the people of De Beers are committed to Living up to Diamonds by making a lasting contribution to the communities in which they live and work, and transforming natural resources into shared national wealth. For further information about De Beers visit www.debeersgroup.com.