09 Jul 2015

The Vice President, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi, has described the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources Bill as a wise move and brilliant investment idea.

Supporting bill in its second reading, Mr Masisi, who is also Moshupa-Manyana MP, said the university was eagerly awaited by many Batswana.

Therefore, he said the bill was a welcome development and should it go through, it would be another government delivery. He said agriculture continued to prove to be one of the areas that presented itself as having the full potential of employment creation in every constituency.

Mr Masisi, who is also the Leader of the House, added that in the area of employment creation in the country, government would tap into institutions such as the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources to generate jobs that were needed in the economy.

Mr Masisi also noted that such a university was more likely to generate products and plants that use less water, given the current state of water in the country, hence it would become a priority to invest in the university as far as research was concerned.

However, he recommended that the relevance of the programmes offered or sequencing of those programmes or the balancing of the curriculum in terms of the practical application must not be misdirected to go and produce the unemployed type of graduates.

Molepolole North MP, Mr Mohammed Khan, also concurred with Mr Masisi that the bill was a welcome development, stating that it came  late and should have long passed.

He said the country would by now be priding itself in food security and self-reliance had the University been established many years ago.

Mr Khan said not having such institutions had resulted in European countries taking local plants and herbs to develop them into medicines. “We have a lot of herbal products that can be used for producing medicines and we have been lacking in doing this because we didn’t have proper institutions” he said. 

He further stressed the point that the University was long overdue, adding that at the moment the country could be furthering research, not planning to start, had it been established way in the past.

Thamaga-Kumakwane MP, Mr Tshenolo Mabeo also welcomed the idea of having an agricultural University, stating that it was high time the country became stable in food security and stopped relying on imports.

On the issue of natural resources, Mr Mabeo, also a Minister of Transport and Communications, noted that the country had a potential of benefiting, citing the Moringa plant that through research done by such Universities, the country could benefit a lot.

Francistown South MP, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi said the Bill showed a progressive move in the Agriculture sector. Mr Mmolotsi however cautioned that for the University to be successful, it had to be run properly.

He pointed out that the University Council should be appointed based on merit, not by ministers as it was the current norm with other local Universities.

He advised that there should be a transparent way in forming the council and that people should be appointed based on their capability so that capable people were appointed to relevant positions.

Nonetheless, Ghanzi North MP, Mr Noah Salakae did not support the Bill, noting that what was on the objectives of the proposed University, was exactly what was offered by the current Botswana College of Agriculture, from Degree, Masters and Doctorate levels and research among others. ENDS