09 Oct 2015

Botswana government will not sit back and wait for economies of the west to improve before acting to better Batswana’s lives. Therefore, President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama said  government would rather tap into foreign reserves to carry out developmental projects and create employment. 

President Khama told a kgotla meeting in Mmanoko yesterday (Thursday 8) that since the beginning of the year, cabinet has been seeking ways to improve livelihoods.

“We are no longer going to tell people there is no money for financing projects,” he said.

He further said although the economy was not yet out of the woods, government was committed to creating more jobs for Batswana and would in the coming weeks roll out details of what is to be done. As a result, President Khama said the country will see more construction of classrooms, teachers’ quarters and upgrading of clinics, something which will help create employment. 

He said more would be spent in servicing land and agricultural production.

Speaking at the same kgotla meeting, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Slumber Tsogwane, said construction of some roads had already started in other areas and priority would be given to those which were planned for.

In an earlier meeting in Mmanoko, it was announced that the kgotla had since 2014 been upgraded to a court of records and government was awaiting residents to install a kgosi .

Minister Tsogwane said the move would automatically increase the number of civil servants manning the tribal administration offices in the village. He was responding to Kgosi Ramosesane Tsiakane who had complained that crime in their area was spiraling while capacity to abate it was low with predominant reliance on volunteer policing.

Mmanoko Village Development Committee chairperson, Ms Segopotso Lerotsi had pleaded that the  road to Gakgatla via Gamodubu be tarred to spur commercial interests in the area and ultimately improve the living standards.

She also requested that bridges be built around the village as it was surrounded by rivers and streams that affected school attendance during rainy seasons.

Ms Lerotsi urged the Kweneng District Council to extend operating hours of the Gamodubu landfill so that users from Gaborone could desist from dumping rubble anywhere due to closure of the facility. 

She also asked that the VDC be given a special permit to mine sand and empower itself to build offices and other property for rental. For his part, Molepolole North MP, Dr Tlamelo Mmatli commended government for taking a bold decision to fund projects using foreign reserves. 

He pleaded with government to fund developments in Molepolole which he described as the fastest growing in terms of population. He said with more people in Molepolole, this called for more services and associated developments.

He implored constituents to always seek assistance from district commissioners’ and MPs’ offices rather than wait for the President’s visit to plead for help.

KDC secretary, Wazha Tema noted that the Gamodubu landfill closed earlier because costs to operate beyond normal public service hours were ballooning due to overtime allowance. He said diesel used to power the incinerators alone cost P400 000 a month, which was unsustainable for the council. BOPA