11 Dec 2016

The State-of-the-Nation Address recently delivered by President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama has indicated that there is progress being made in terms of national development.

The Assistant Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, Mr Fidelis Molao stated this in his response to the address in Parliament on December 8.

He said the speech had indicated that jobs had been created through the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP), that citizens continued to benefit from interventions such as the Economic Diversification Drive (EDD) and that the country was receiving some foreign investment.

“I urge the various stakeholders who are involved in the implementation of ESP to roll up their sleeves and ensure that we deliver roads, land servicing, kgotla upgrades, classrooms and other facilities that are being provided through this initiative,” Mr Molao said. He further said that while mistakes are bound to happen in the implementation of government policies, it is wrong for critics to claim that the government is not doing anything at all.

Gaborone Central Member of Parliament, Dr Phenyo Butale expressed concern that the address had not adequately addressed many of the problems the country was facing.

He said he had expected the President to adequately address the problems associated with the economy likely to be affected by the closure of mines, high unemployment as well as slow and jobless growth.

Dr Butale further said that government was entrusted with being stewards of the country’s resources and as such the sale of national asserts such as the Palapye glass manufacturing plant and Morupule B Power Station to external investors would amount to an abrogation of such duty.

Furthermore, Dr Butale said he was amazed that a high figure of P2.2 billion was mentioned as having been collected from the alcohol levy, which he said was a celebration of alcoholism on the rise as there was no indication of rehabilitation centres being built.

Mochudi West legislator, Mr Gilbert Mangole said government had ignored the plight of civil servants, whose wages he said had been eroded by inflation in recent years.

He also said that the government built the Oodi College Of Applied Arts and Technology without adequate planning, saying that the institution generally lacks direction and the majority of its employees are on short term contracts. ENDS