09 Jan 2019

Botswana will experience another budget deficit in the next financial year.

The deficit is seen widening to close to P8 billion in the next financial year, leading to a cumulative budget gap of P15 billion by 2020, a development that is contrary to government’s commitment in NDP 11 to reduce budget deficits.

Addressing a kgotla meeting in Tonota on Tuesday, Member of Parliament for Tonota, Mr Thapelo Olopeng said the deficit was caused by the fact that the economy had not been doing well in the past years.

He acknowledged that it has been a long time since civil servants got salary adjustments due to the crawling back of the economy and rise in government’s total expenditure as well as net lending.

Mr Olopeng, who is also the Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, explained that because of budget deficit, government prioritised projects and could only undertake those deemed economically viable.

He further said the local abattoir plant, which had been closed, required an equipment that would cost over P2 million for it to resume operation.

The MP said the village leadership had not yet taken a decision to use part of the P10 million constituency fund to purchase the equipment.

He told the residents that plans were underway to form a cooperative society in Tonota to create jobs for the local youth and that P1 million from the constituency allowance would be used to fund part of the project.

Regarding health issues, Mr Olopeng explained that the construction of a primary hospital in the village had been included in the National Development Plan 11 and that funds for the project were secured.

The MP further added that the old clinic would be upgraded to ease congestion at the new clinic.

Regarding installation of street lights in the village, Minister Olopeng said the constructor would be on site beginning February and that all internal tarred roads would also be installed with street lights, but at different stages.

On other issues, Mr Olopeng told the residents that Parliament passed the Penal Code Amendment Bill raising the age of consent for sex from 16 to 18 years.

He said the bill would also addresses general concerns of the public that laws were not deterrent enough by introducing stiffer fines and penalties, particularly for the offences of murder, rape and manslaughter and encourage uniformity in sentencing by introducing minimum mandatory sentence.

He said the Bill was currently before members of Ntlo Ya Dikgosi for consideration.

The Bill was made available to the public for their appreciation on February 23, 2017 when it was published in the Government Gazette.

Mr Olopeng was responding to one resident, Ms Tshepo Mapiki who complained that some taxi drivers at Tonota were allegedly sexually abusing female students.

Ms Mapiki said she reported the matter to the police and since then she had never received any response.

However, the acting station commander for Tonota Police, Assistant Superintendent Ontibile Motladiile requested Ms Mapiki to come to the station to get her feedback on the matter, saying the matter was too sensitive to be discussed in the kgotla.

Mr Olopeng also briefed the residents on the Stock Theft Amendment Bill, and the Medicines and Related Substances Bill, which were also passed by Parliament.

He appealed to residents to support him in his new assignment as the Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, saying he had already drawn his roadmap on how to lead the ministry.

Mr Olopeng also took the opportunity to inform the residents that their chief, Kgosi Bokamoso Radipitse of Tonota  would be getting married in March and appealed to residents to rally behind his marriage by giving him support.

In his welcome remarks, Kgosi Radipitse thanked residents for attending kgotla meetings in large numbers, saying the kgotla was charged with the responsibility of building the nation and social cohesion, with the wider purpose of promoting harmony among different tribes of Botswana. Ends