26 Jul 2018

Botswana is facing challenges emanating from limited government revenue streams against increasing expenditure, says President Mokgweetsi Masisi.

Addressing a kgotla meeting in Thamaga on July 26, he said Batswana should therefore come up with innovative ways to help government. 

President Masisi said time had come for Batswana to ask themselves if they were just waiting for government hand-overs or play a meaningful role in the economy. 

He called for introspection and behavioral change to guard against the spread of HIV and AIDS saying this was one way through which government funds could be saved. 

Government was ensuring an HIV free generation through the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTC) and therefore the onus was on citizens to protect themselves against the scourge, he said. 

He explained that HIV treatment was expensive not only for  government but also for affected households as those infected could lose jobs due to ill health and other expenses. 

The president said adoptive parents also found it difficult to care for orphans and government had been roped in to provide foster care. 

President Masisi urged residents of Thamaga to return to the traditional methods where families were strong which was the only way of guarding against wayward behaviour. 

He called on the residents to meet regularly not only on development issues but also to address social matters. 

President Masisi also encouraged them to develop the spirit of volunteerism and offer assistance where needed. 

Meanwhile, the president has appealed to land boards not to be strict with the approval of the change of land use saying Batswana should be free to utilize their land in any matter that could generate income. 

He said this should enable Batswana to freely convert their idle farms to tourism centres, thereby generating income for themselves as well as broadening government revenue streams. 

The president, however, said this should not just be done indiscriminately without regard to the environment. 

President Masisi further said the government will transform education, not just by increasing funds but through the development of manpower. 

He explained that education should not just be about the accumulation of certificates and higher degrees but should reflect on one’s behaviour. 

Responding to some of the issues raised earlier on, the President said while the unified secondary school requested by the villagers was not in the current National Development Plan 11 (NDP 11), the Midterm Review will be undertaken next year and therefore the school might be included in the plan. 

He further said the Thamaga/Kubung road was also in the plan but the onus was on the residents to prove that the road was important by using the farms in Kubung. 

The President said the road was to link the farms with the market and therefore could play a meaningful role. 

He further appealed to the farm owners not to desert them saying any idle farm would be forfeited by the state and reallocated and further said these should not be rented out to Zimbabweans as is the case with Glen Valley farms.  

However, he said it was competing with the road linking Botswana with Zambia saying this was the government’s priority given the huge potential of improved trade between this country and others. 

The President said he would leave for China to request funding for infrastructure development, saying either a loan at a low-interest rate or a grant was needed to develop the road in Kazungula. ENDS