27 Nov 2014

Nata-Gweta MP, Mr Polson Majaga, has called for 
diversification of economy to reduce dependency on mineral resources.

Responding 
to the State-of-Nation Address in Parliament, he said agriculture had the 
potential to grow the wealth of the country, and thereby calling for a higher
 allocation of the national budget to agriculture. Mr Majaga 
said cooperatives were also capable of diversifying the economy and that they
 should be resuscitated fully.

He also called 
for establishment of 24-hour clinics in rural areas and provision of 
ambulances, adding that in Gweta there was shortage of basic necessities such
 as blankets in health facilities.

Mr Majaga
called government to consider establishment of schools inspectorate to see as
to whether education was in the right direction as large sums of money was
spent to educate students.

He said 
these inspectors will also look at whether schools were equipped with the right 
learning materials and issues of ratio per student/teacher that hampers good
 results, if the government desires good results.

He further called 
government to consider the restoration of the Francistown/Nata road which he
 said dates as far back as 1974. Mogoditshane 
MP, Mr Sedirwa Kgoroba called on government to treat unemployment as a national 
crisis.

He said he did not agree to the 17 per cent unemployment rate
 mentioned in the President’s speech, unless the programmes such as Internship,
Tirelo Setshaba and Ipelegeng were incorporated as part of employment.

He said jobs 
could not be created by government, but should be created by the private sector.
 He further criticised government for lack of consultation, noting that this 
tendency had led to projects of multi-million pula failing.

He noted 
that the money generated from alcohol levy mentioned in the speech was not
 elaborative as to whether there were any achievements in fighting alcohol
 consumption, apart from mentioning the P1.1billion generated. “There is no 
initiative to reduce neither alcohol consumption nor rehabilitation,” he said.

He further 
condemned government for what he termed thriving on telling the nation only the 
successes and intentions, and was not result orientated.

Jwaneng
-Mabutsane MP, Mr Shawn Ntlhaile decried that the country’s wealth that was 
generated by the mining town of Jwaneng was not benefiting the town’s
residents. He said the 
residents of the town were the hardest hit by poverty, despite the gains made
 by the country at Jwaneng.

He said workers had been neglected for a very long time, regardless of economic
situations they find themselves in, such as inflation and high cost of living. Mr Ntlhaile
 called government to address workers grievances as an urgent matter because 
they contribute to the generation of the country’s wealth.

On other 
issues, he called for the establishment of electoral tribunal to arbitrate on
 election issues. He also said he was against the system of specially electing
 MPs and councillors as the money used on them should be used on employment
 creation. ENDS