08 Sep 2019

Three Prospective Parliamentary candidates for Ghanzi South on September 7 agreed on the need to privatise the Botswana Meat Commission and to focus on inclusive economy to move the country forward.

Mr Thato Tshweneyagae of Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) said when Parliament passed a Bill aimed at removing the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) export monopoly on livestock products, it was evident that the ruling BDP was alive to the realities on the ground and the fact that the district was endowed with livestock.

He argued that the legislation would create a platform that would enable farmers in the district to open a multi-species abattoir and create employment for about 300 Batswana.

He said government was in talks with some investors in Italy, a country known for deluxe leather products who would buy livestock skins and create wealth for livestock owners. He said over 25 residents have since been trained by the government on leather processing to reposition them to take advantage of the opportunities the industry presented.

He said the government had removed unnecessary bottlenecks when registering a business to enable many Batswana to create employment opportunities for themselves. He said this demonstrated their desire to create an inclusive economy that would see Batswana enjoying a meaningful stake.

Mr Tshweneyagae said he would advocate for children to be taught in mother tongue, especially in lower classes to enable them to grasp concepts as early as possible as part of the efforts of improving quality of education.

He also promised to advocate for a vocational school that would zero in on livestock production, to empower meat producers with knowledge so as to keep pace with new technologies that will also help in employment creation.

He promised constituents that he would propose that lime-like rocks in Tsootsha be processed into cement. He said concrete stones in Nojane would also be refined into cement.

For his part, Mr Motsamai Motsamai of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), defended the creation of 100 000 jobs in 12 months through the judicious financial management his party promises to offer.

He also called for BMC to be privatised to give capable investors an opportunity to compete and offer farmers value for money. He decried that farmers did not benefit much from the cattle they sold to the BMC.

Mr Motsamai also called for a vocational school that would empower farmers with knowledge on livestock production. He further urged the government to open Chobokwane and Nojane Artificial Insemination Camp saying the service at the camp had long been halted at the expense of farmers.

If voted into office, he said high on his agenda would be the construction of fully equipped district hospital to relieve residents the trouble of traveling long distances seeking medical attention.

Mr Motsamai said he would advocate for Botswana’s dry port in Walvis Bay in Namibia to be connected to the Ghanzi District.

This, he said, would create employment opportunities for many Batswana.

Mr Onneile Segwai of Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), in his bid, shared sentiments that it was high time children from non-Setswana communities were taught in their mother tongue.

He also opined that children should be allowed to choose career paths from a tender age to enable young people to follow their hearts, pursue their talents to become the best they could be in vocations of their choice.
In view of youth unemployment, Mr Segwai said if voted into office he would urge the government to find job opportunities for young Batswana with special skills to be placed where there was a need world-wide.

On land allocation, he said priority be given to residents the same way it was done in such places as Tlokweng. He also called for land to be allocated efficiently to enable land ownershi

Mr Segwai said he would also advocate for the Youth Development Fund ceiling to be increased to enable entrepreneurs to graduate and create wealth for themselves. As it is now, he said it was difficult for young people to break even and start earning profits because most of the money was geared towards the survival of their businesses. ENDS