04 Oct 2017

Acting President Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi has yesterday encouraged residents of Machana, a settlement near Jwaneng, to further their studies through Botswana College of Distance and

Open Learning (BOCODOL).

Mr Masisi, who was accompanied by his wife, Neo said Parliament had enacted the Botswana Open University Act of 2016 to enable BOCODOL to offer distance learning courses up to a Degree level.

Further, Mr Masisi explained that the spirit of the legislation was to give a platform to many Batswana who otherwise could not pursue full-time studies due to work commitments or other factors, to do so through distance learning. He  assured residents that the College would provide quality distance education.

Mr Masisi also informed residents that Parliament had passed, the 2017 inter-state prisoner transfer Bill.

He said the law would allow for an exchange of prisoners between Botswana and other states and explained that the law would allow Batswana prisoners serving sentence outside the country to be transferred to serve the remainder of their terms at home.

The Vice President, who is also area MP for Moshupa, said that the law was crafted in view of the fact that a prisoner in a foreign land might have a challenge with language or culture. He said the legal framework would also help reduce the cost of caring for prisoners in a foreign land.

On other issues, Mr Masisi informed residents that the Jwaneng mine had promised to survey, drill and equip a borehole at Machana. He explained that the person who had previously promised to drill them a borehole was ill and the site was not suitable for the project.

Further, Vice President Masisi encouraged farmers to prepare well for the next ploughing season, saying rain would be scarce in December, but would later improve substantially in January. He also encouraged farmers to plant in rows rather than broadcasting,  which he described as wasteful.

Meanwhile, the Southern District agricultural coordinator, Ms Monia Mfolwe said 174 Machana farmers had registered for the next ploughing season.

Ms Mfolwe also implored farmers to collect soil samples from their fields and send them for testing at Sebele Agric Centre before the beginning of the next ploughing season. She said only those who had tested their fields would be assisted with seeds and chemical fertilizers.

She complained that some farmers misused the fertilizers.

For her part, Jwaneng mine communications and corporate affairs manager, Ms Montlenyane Baaitse confirmed that her company would survey, drill and equip a borehole in Machana with a view to provide residents with water. Ends