20 Nov 2016

Member of Parliament for Palapye, Mr Moiseraele Goya says Botswana has abundant natural resources which can be used in energy projects.

Debating Chapter 6 of the draft National Development Plan (NDP) 11 in Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Goya said with coal reserves amounting to 200 billion tonnes and sunshine, Botswana can be a net exporter of power.

The Palapye legislator said with just about 12 million tons of coal, the economy can generate 10 000 jobs which he said would be highly welcomed in his constituency.

He however said it was costly to develop fuel storage facilities in Tshele Hill in Rasesa, Kgatleng, saying Palapye was best suited due to the availability of the railway line.

MP Goya said due to the project, government has been forced to build a flyover in Rasesa due to a railway line linking the fuel storage facilities.

However, Mochudi West MP Gilbert Mangole said people in his constituency were happy with the project as it has brought infrastructure such as dual carriageway.

He called upon the minister of Transport and Communications to consider tarring a five kilometer stretch from Tshele Hill to Lentsweletau, saying it would reduce congestion as motorists would no longer have to travel through Gaborone to reach Molepolole.

Mr Mangole further said the Bokaa – Kopong road should also be tarred, saying it would also provide easy access to Kweneng and also ease congestion on A1 highway.

The Sikwane – Mabalane road has been included in the plan and Mr Mangole said he hoped it would be constructed as it has been long been included in NDP 8.

He further called upon the government to consider Sikwane – Malolwane – Ramotlabaki – Dibete road in future, saying the growth of trade and movement at Sikwane border might need additional infrastructure in the coming years.

MP Mangole called upon the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security to include Artesia among the villages earmarked for expansion of the electricity grid saying 75 per cent of the village does not have access to power.

He further decried constant power outages in Mochudi saying the village still experiences load shedding while the rest of the country does not.

MP Mangole said the former Minister of Energy rejected a plan by private investors to generate power using garbage through Pilane Landfill.

He further called for construction of office to house the Department of Immigration, saying the current building was outdated and insufficient.

Specially Elected MP, Mr Mephato Reatile said electricity should be provided in active agricultural production areas to enable the investors to use modern technology which will result with increased production and employment opportunities.

He said the population of Sese at 4000 has outgrown the power grid and water map.

Mr Reatile welcomed the sewage reticulation project in Kanye, budgeted at P700 million, but said it was unfortunate that the people provided with the facility did not have access to portable water.

He said while it was a welcome development to deport foreigners for security reasons, false prophets and priests should instead be tried locally to enable Batswana to recover their dues.

Takatokwane MP, Mr Ngaka Ngaka said he was not happy with the draft NDP 11 and found it difficult to support it as the road from Letlhakeng to Kaudwane has been excluded.

He said the road to Kaudwane was important as it passes through five villages and is the gateway to Khutse Game Reserve.

MP Ngaka said people in his constituency were thus disadvantaged by the lack of proper roads as civil servants refuse to work in the area and further, the Presidential Housing Appeal has not benefited his people due to high costs emanating from the bad state of the road.

MP for Bonnington North and Leader of the Opposition, Mr Duma Boko said government was irresponsible in its decision to close BCL Mine as copper prices have rebounded as expected.

He said it was an act of gross irresponsibility to liquidate BCL and render its employees unemployed and also to dispose-off government asset without guidelines and the involvement of Public Procurement and Assets Disposal Board (PPADB).

Mr Boko said those involved in the act wanted to manipulate the system for their own personal gain due to lack of transparency.

He said the Minister of Transport and Communications has said the budget allocation for NDP 11 was below the NDP 10 allocation by 14 per cent, but he seemed happy.

Mr Boko said the minister has not said anything about maintenance of existing roads.

He further said it was difficult to travel within Gaborone and the country due to the poor state of roads, adding the minister had long promised him a fly over to deal with traffic along the road to Btv circle.

The Bonnington North legislator further said the country should deal with violence in general, and not just Gender Based Violence.

Responding to these, Minister of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development, Mr Tshenolo Mabeo said government was faced with budgetary constraints, hence the low budget although he concurred that the transport sector was important for economic growth.

He said youth companies have been engaged to maintain roads.

Minister Mabeo who is also MP for Thamaga-Kumakwane welcomed the electrification of Gakutlo through Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP).

He further said his area faced water challenges as boreholes at Gaotlhobogwe frequently broke.
Mahalapye West MP, Mr Joseph Molefe said solar energy could be used to create employment for at least 200 people.

He further said Trade B certificates from brigades were no longer relevant to the economy and said the Construction Industry Trade Fund should continue even when there are no government mega projects.

Responding to MP’s comments, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Mr Vincent Seretse said he welcomed the concerns raised, saying due to budgetary constraints, some projects have been shelved as they were done on priority base.

He said he agreed with some MPs that some laws were outdated and said they will be reviewed and new ones introduced during NDP 11.

Minister Seretse said government has come up with Research Fund as some of the initiatives to encourage research in the country. He said the private sector should play a leading role in creating employment opportunities.

Minister Seretse said normal tendering processes were followed during the awarding of projects through ESP as per PPADB rules. ENDS