30 Nov 2017

Kgalagadi South Member of Parliament, Mr Frans Van Der Westhuizen has dismissed  the contention by some especially in the opposition that the Alcohol Levy came about as a result of the President’s personal view.

Making his contribution in the debate of State Of the Nation Address, Mr Van Der Westhuizen said it should be noted that the levy came about as a result of the concerns on over-indulgence in alcohol that Batswana raised in kgotla meetings across the country.

On unemployment, the legislator, who is also the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development urged Batswana to understand that government could not offer jobs to all the unemployed single-handedly.

He said it was therefore necessary to engage the private sector so as devise ways through which the unemployment could be addressed.

On poverty, he said a lot of strides had been made since independence to control it, saying it was imperative that the nation did not turn a blind eye to the progress that had so far been made.

He said further that Botswana had done well in the area of education.He indicated that though the country did not have jobs for its youth, it had at least empowered them through educating them.

Thanking government for the unified secondary school in Tsabong, the MP however lamented the poor education results that continued to plague his constituency.

He appealed for government to put in place special interventions that would help reverse the undesirable trend that has continued unabated for years now.

He also thanked government for having recognised the tourism potential of the constituency through the Khawa dune challenge.

In the end, the MP cautioned against allowing tribalism to take root in the country.

He said while the laws and policies in place were not segregatory, there was an under-current of tribalism in Botswana.

He sais something had to be done, he affirmed that the nation could not afford to be in denial about the issue as it would eventually blow up in Batswana’s faces if it was not addressed.

Jwaneng-Mabutsane MP Mr Shawn Ntlhaile has told parliament that President Lieutenant General Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama would be leaves behind challenges such as  the high unemployment and poverty rates as well as huge income inequalities.

Mr Ntlhaile said despite President Khama’s assurance to the nation when he ascended the presidency that every Motswana would enjoy the country’s riches that had not happened as unemployment had ballooned during his tenure.

On poverty, he said 19.4 per cent of the population wallowed in poverty, while in rural areas statistics stood at 24 per cent; a situation that he explained meant that rural areas were worse off.

On income inequalities, he said Botswana was among the worst performing countries in this regarding, indicating that studies had shown that 50 per cent of the country’s wealth was distributed among the richest 10 per cent of the population.

He observed that it had also been shown that 10 per cent of the poorest held only 1 per cent of the country’s wealth. He stated thus that the president was leaving behind a poor nation as 60 per cent of Batswana received assistance in one way or the other from government.

All these, he pointed out was proof that the dignity that had been promised Batswana had been a fallacy. 

On another issue, MP Ntlhaile alleged that corruption had grown during President Khama’s reign.

He also critisised the dispensation to allow public officers to engage in private businesses saying it would fuel corruption.

He said instead of focusing on the duties for which they had been employed, public officers would channel their energies towards their businesses, a scenario that would result in productivity levels plummeting.

He said government should, instead of having adopted such a stance, resolved to pay public officers well and then let them stay out of the running of private businesses.

He also expressed displeasure at the lack of the strategies on job creation in the president’ speech. He therefore applauded the Leader of Opposition, Mr Duma Boko for having stated in his response to the SONA that once in power the UDC would create 100 000 jobs. ENDS