13 Jan 2019

Acting President, Mr Slumber Tsogwane has implored the public to strengthen and support agencies that fight corruption.

The Acting President said this when addressing kgotla meetings in Mokobaxane and Mopipi villages recently.

He said corruption should be uprooted in order to protect the country’s economy from destruction.

Mr Tsogwane therefore emphasised that agencies fighting corruption such as Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC), Ombudsman, Competition Authority and Botswana Unified Revenue Services should be supported to achieve their objectives.

Government, he said, had zero tolerance for corruption, stating that all Batswana should fight corruption and should not encourage it in offices.

The Acting President stressed that the rule of law should be obeyed as no one was above the law.  He said government intended to assign responsible leaders who would be able to discharge their duties without fear or favour.

Mr Tsogwane stated that corruption should be fought in any form, noting that all heads of departments and political leaders would be expected to declare their assets through the Declaration of Assets Bill.

He further encouraged people to register for elections in large numbers, saying some people were reluctant to register although they were given three months to do so. The numbers, he said, should be significant to demonstrate the people’s will to vote the government of choice.

Mr Tsogwane stressed that peace was dependent on the government of the people by the people.

Meanwhile, Mokobaxane Village Development Committee (VDC) chairperson Mr Nakedi Batswana requested power network expansion in the village.

Also, he complained that Mopipi Junior Secondary School had enrolled the number of pupils far exceeding the school’s capacity. He also requested mattresses for the school.

In Mopipi the VDC chairperson Mr Onobo Othusitse reiterated that there was shortage of classrooms at Mopipi JSS as well as mattresses for boarding pupils.

Mr Othusitse complained that they had since been promised a water treatment plant, but the project had not materialised to date.

He also said they had three LA3 houses that were not installed with electricity.

One of the residents in Mopipi Mr Letsema Gaogane complained that they were compelled to take their medication with saline water that was supplied in the Village.

She reiterated that they had since been promised a water treatment plant to be installed between Mokobaxane and Mmadikola.

Mokobaxane councillor Mr Orapeleng Dikgang complained that the village was growing at a high rate with the young generation erecting bigger houses, but lack of electricity was hampering developments. ENDS