03 Dec 2017

 The belief that government had done the nation an injustice by failing to lure investors to the country has been dismissed as unjustified.

When responding to the State Of the Nation Address (SONA) on November 30, Selebi Phikwe East MP, Mr Nonofo Molefhi said the responsibility to woo investors did not lie with government alone, observing that it was incumbent upon all to play a role in bringing foreign investors to the country.

Mr Molefhi, who is the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development, pointed out that government had over the years continued to do its part in this regard, as in seeing the slow pace at which investors were being attracted to Botswana, the Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) was set up.

He said although the entity had faltered in some respects, it had had its fair share of successes.

On health and Wellness, Mr Molefhi said Botswana had made great strides in bringing health services closer to the people, though a lot more could still be done.

He however appealed to government to re-consider the new arrangement where private doctors were not allowed to dispense medication.

He said it was critical to allow private practices to consider dispensing the way they have always been doing, especially since they did not operate fully-fledged pharmacies.

Mr Molefhi also dismissed the Leader of Opposition Mr Duma Boko’s contention when responding to the SONA that government had to start unbundling projects, saying currently that was being done.

He also said the plea by Mr Boko for the adoption of urban agriculture was similarly unfounded as it was already being practised, citing the agricultural activities going on in Glen Valley in Gaborone as an example.

Concerning cooperative societies, he said it was important to devise foolproof strategies of resuscitating them.

Highlighting their importance to the growth of the economy, he noted that successful economies the world over were not dependent on the role government, but rather that they were run by the people when they applied their minds and put their ideas into action.

On the argument that President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama had failed to deliver on his 5Ds, Mr Molefhi noted that if the nation had failed to draw onto the ideals preached through the Ds, it was not the president’s fault.

He said ideals such as dignity, discipline and delivery had always been the tenets of the nation’s culture, adding that as such it was amiss for them to be talked about in isolation of who Batswana were as a people.

For his part, MP Machana Shamukuni of Chobe said President Khama hasd been the most interactive President the country had had as he had visited every nook and cranny of the country interacting with Batswana.

He said it was disappointing that there were complaints that the President did not attend international meetings when his predecessor, Mr Festus Mogae had been critisised of having been out of the country often, something that was said to have been denying him the opportunity to visit Batswana in their localities.

On another note, Mr Shamukuni hailed President Khama for the different cultural and entertainment events such as the Khawa Dune Challenge that came into being during his term of office.

The MP said in the past Batswana used to trek to other countries for such, but that was no longer the case.

He added that since the advent of such events, Batswana were now much more culturally aware of each other.

Lobatse MP, Advocate Sadique Kebonang had in his contribution pointed out that running a government was a team effort and not a one-man’s show.

 He said it was therefore improper for some people, especially opposition politicians to single out and blame the president for government’s failures.

Regarding Selebi Phikwe, Advocate Kebonang said government had done everything humanely possible to ensure the continued existence of the town.

He observed that because of the continued efforts, Selebi Phikwe would not die as investors were being lured to the town.

He critisised the opposition for continuing to push the matter regarding the closure of BCL Mine, saying they did so to remain relevant as the 2019 general elections approached. 

The MP also thanked government for its benevolence in providing Batswana with free education, saying such a gesture deserved to be appreciated.

Further, he highlighted government’s respect for the judiciary and the rule of law, saying this was evidenced by it having always respected decisions of the courts regardless of how aggrieved it was by such. ENDS