01 Feb 2015

President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama says the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD) had the intension to empower all Batswana who own tractors.

Speaking in a kgotla meeting at Mosolotshane in the Shoshong constituency on January 29, President Khama said after the government realised that  Batswana owned more than  2 000 tractors country-wide, it was decided that the implements could be used to plough for those who did to have tractors.

He said through ISPAAD, government only bought 60 tractors to be used by farmers who did not own tractors . However, he said if there was still shortage of tractors, the government would assess the situation and see what could be done to ease the situation . 

President Khama was responding to Kgosi Tsietsego Molefhi of Mosolotshane who had complained that this ploughing season farmers expected low yields due to shortage of tractors.

He also decried the bad state of Mosolotshane/Moralane road, noting that the community had long requested for the road to be tarred.

In response, President Khama said developments such as the tarring of roads were done looking at the traffic volume. He said it was the aim of the government to develop the country but certain aspects had to be looked into before such developments were carried out.

Kgosi Molefhi also complained about shortage of water in his village, adding that though they had a borehole which had enough water to serve the entire village, they often went for days without water due to pipe breakages.

On crime, the traditional leader said the crime rate had increased so much that the need to increase the number of police officers was necessary. He revealed that some members of the community who resided in ranches did not benefit from government programme because they did not have Omang cards and birth certificates.

When responding to issues of shortage of water, the Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources Mr Kitso Mokaila, said his ministry was aware of pipe breakages in the village and explained that about five kilometres of the damaged pipe had been repaired.

However, Minister Mokaila said his ministry was concerned about the rate at which water pipes got destroyed adding that the ministry had noticed that some people illegally water their livestock from public standpipes.

As such, he said people should know that water availed in villages was meant for people and not livestock .ENDS