Dr. Akolang Russia Tombale
Dr. Akolang Russia Tombale is the Chief Executive Officer of Botswana Meat Commission. He was born in Bobonong Village in Eastern Botswana on the 17th May 1954, the son of Mr. Tombale Tombale and Mrs. Mothatego Tombale. He completed his primary school studies at Bobonong Primary School in 1967, transferring to Gaborone Camp Primary School in 1968 where he attained Grade A in his PLSE. He finished secondary school studies at Gaborone SS in 1973.
After Pre-Science studies at the University of Botswana from 1974 to 1975, he completed a BSc Honours in Geology at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria in 1979. In Botswana, he worked as Assistant Geologist in the Dept. of Geological Survey (1979-1981). Upgraded to Geologist in 1981, he won an MSc in Economic Geology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada in 1985. In 1986, he was promoted to the post of Senior Geologist. In 1987 he began PhD studies in Economic Geology at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. Graduating in 1991, he became Deputy Director of the Dept. of Geological Survey where he served until 1998 when he became Director of Dept. of Water Affairs. He served in this post until 2001 when he became Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources. Dr Tombale retired from the Botswana Civil Service in 2008 but was retained on contract as the Coordinator of the Botswana Diamond Hub until December 2009. He currently runs his cattle farming business, and consults in water resources, mining, environmental impact, diamond marketing, performance management and productivity, and contract negotiations.
Dr. Tombale served in several portfolios that have had a profound impact on his country. From 1999 to 2006 he was Co-Chairperson of the Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM) where, with colleagues from Angola and Namibia, he established the Secretariat in Maun, Botswana. From 1998 to 2001 he was the Chairperson of the Botswana Power Corporation Board of Directors and member of the Water Utilities Corporation Board of Directors. From 2001 to 2007 he was also the Deputy Chairman of the Debswana Diamond Company, becoming its Chairman in 2007. He was also the Deputy Chairman of Botswana Ash (2001-2008) and member of the De Beers Board of Directors (2001-2008). Dr. Tombale has led a number of groundbreaking negotiations for his country. These include development of the SADC Protocol on Transboundary Watercourses and founding of the Zambezi River, Orange River and Limpopo River Basin water commissions. He was Chief Negotiator for talks with De Beers that changed commercial arrangements in diamond mining. He also led negotiations that developed the Independent Power Producers in the country, and guided creation of policies and procedures for estasblishing Botswana as a centre for the downstream diamond activities.
Dr. Tombale married Faith Lillian Sethosa Morakaladi in 1981, a teacher, and currently Country Director of the Institute of Development Management (IDM) in Botswana. They have three children; Tebago, lawyer with Botswana Attorney General Chambers, Leliedi, social worker with the Southern District Council, and Tsholofelo Madome, studying Mass Communications at Limkokwing University in Malaysia.
Akolang and Faith Tombale are active members of the Botswana Anglican Church.