25 Sep 2019

Potable water, better health services and access roads remain topical issues for the Serowe South constituency, which the prospective parliamentary candidates have promised to address, should the voters send any one of them to Parliament.

Party representatives who joined the Radio Botswana parliamentary debates in Serowe on September 24 said they were aware of the needs of the Serowe South, hence they were in a better position to help address them.

The representatives were from the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Alliance for Progressives (AP), Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) and two independent candidates.

Mr Lesedi Phuthego of the BDP urged the constituents to vote for his party given its track record.

He said the BDP had governed for 53 years, thereby playing a big role in the development of the country.

This, he said, was demonstrated by the existing infrastructure such as roads, health facilities and electricity, which he said did not exist when the party started to govern.

Mr Phuthego said most of the developments in Serowe South were carried out after the 2014 general elections, citing the kgotla shelter at Mokgware and water supply at the Mogome/Mokgware area as well as the Pilikwe/ Radisele road.

He said if voted to Parliament he would advocate for other developments.

He said even though Mokgware was still facing water challenges, efforts had been made to secure funds to build water tanks in the area.

Mr Phuthego also said his party would facilitate for the opening of the BCL mine by investors, something he said would help in job creation.

BPF’s Mr Leepeetswe Lesedi said his party would improve services at the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) so that farmers who sold their livestock were paid their dues in a short period of time.

He also said they would increase prices at Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board in order to empower farmers who sold their produce.

He appealed to the Serowe South constituents to vote for him in order to bring change.

He said the agricultural sector had the potential to sustain the economy, an ideal that his party would take advantage of.

Another prospective parliamentary candidate Mr Prince Moitoi said at BMD their belief was that government had the responsibility to bring developments to the people.

He said if voted into Parliament he would make sure that the Botswana Railways rail line was revamped.

Mr Moitoi said he was in a better place to bring ideas that could change the state of BR given his work experience at the organisation.

He said the BR had the potential to make a lot of profit, which could benefit the economy of the country.

He said he would also focus on the brigades by bringing them to a status that would help produce graduates who were ready to apply what they had learned.

He said he would also focus on the issue of subsidising housing for the civil servants, especially those who were working in the city.

He said the civil servants spent a lot of money paying for rent and transport.

AP’s Mr Iphemele Kgokgothwane said if he wins the parliamentary seat he would focus on education.

He said there was only one senior secondary school in the area, which state disadvantaged some pupils as they had to walk a long distance to the school.

Mr Moremi Mareka of UDC appealed to the Serowe South constituents to vote for him, saying he was better placed because of his experience and qualifications.

He said Serowe South had poor health services while the agricultural sector was not doing well in the area.

He said he would also focus on talent identification as some of the options towards employment creation.

An independent candidate Mr Oteng Thankane said he would ensure that the internal roads at Serowe South were developed.

Another independent candidate Mr Ian Khumo said he would lure investors to the country.

He said he would give priority to Mokgware/Serowe road as it needed urgent attention.

Mr Khumo said he would find ways of creating employment for the youth. Ends