21 May 2017

The Minister of Transport and Communication (MTC), Mr Kitso Mokaila has unveiled two ICT labs at Masunga Youth centre and Masunga business school as part of the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) commemoration legacy projects.

The Community Skills Centre housed at Masunga youth centre was donated by Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) with 20 computers and a free internet connection for a year while the other computers, printers and air conditioners at the business school were a joint donation by all stakeholders under MTC.

Giving a keynote address at the WTISD commemoration on Saturday, Mr Mokaila said many lessons could be drawn from such a day because it left a footprint in all the villages where the annual commemorations were hosted.

He highlighted that this year’s theme: Big data, Big Impact was fitting because telecommunications encompassed the everyday life of telephones, internet and other technologies.

The minister said the invention of technology made life easy because one did not have to be with the other party physically in order to communicate.

He said nowadays, running a business required one to be ICT skilled in order to learn from other markets and apply the lessons to their own business.

He stated that the big data could be used for ones development by making products and businesses that conform to international standards which further translated to economic growth.

Mr Mokaila said there was need for skilled personnel to analyse the big data which challenged Botswana as a country to develop her human resource to become ICT analysts and engineers.

“As a ministry we want to explore technology for the benefit of our people we want them to use it to the fullest to ensure that Botswana grows,” he said.

A Masunga ICT entrepreneur, Mr Bose Sethupa said the day gave youth in Masunga hope especially those in ICT industry because it would leave a long lasting legacy.

He said internet should be affordable to every Motswana and stated that there was need for government to collaborate with data and internet providers to ensure consumers were not reaped off.

Mr Sethupa said technology enabled people to do business online as everything was now found on the World Wide Web.

He urged people to use internet wisely and stop insulting others on social media.

Receiving the legacy projects, Kgosi Maruje III Thabo Masunga said for many years’ villages like Masunga had been without opportunities adding that projects such as the computer and skills centres brought hope to the village.

He stated that the computers belonged to all, not anyone in particular and urged the community not to damage or steal anything from the labs.

Lastly Kgosi Masunga called on Batswana to be patriotic and love their country instead of worshiping other nations. ENDS