27 Nov 2019

The mining of river sand should be reserved for village development committees (VDCs) and community trusts.

In his response to State-of-the-Nation Address on Tuesday, Kanye North MP, Mr Thapelo Letsholo, pleaded with the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, to reserve sand mining, which he said would open up opportunities for VDCs to operate partnerships and joint ventures with private companies.

He said VDCs were generally cash strapped, despite the critical role they played in spearheading certain village projects.

He said many villages in Kanye North, including Ranaka, Ntlhantlhe and Kgomokasitwa, were endowed with rivers that were a healthy source of sand. 

Mr Letsholo commended government for undertaking the initiative to emphatically prioritise the growth and empowerment of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) through the creation of regional entrepreneurship centres of excellence, adding that he looked forward to one in the villages of Kanye or Ntlhantlhe.

He said there was an opportunity to explore the possibility of establishing Africa’s largest gaming and recreation resort along with the stunning scenery and beautiful hills of Ranaka.

This he said, would be aligned to government vision of making Botswana meetings and conferencing place and a multi-sectoral tourism hub underpinned by unflinching quest for happiness, security and comfort.

He noted that SMMEs were the engine of the economy, however, the late or non-payment of SMMEs crippled their growth, impeded progress and sustainability.

Mr Letsholo, therefore, said late non-payment of SMMEs by consumers should be regarded as a criminal offence.

“If SMMEs are the engine of the economy, then it follows that sabotaging small businesses sabotages the country. The time is now for the government to have a compliance office to monitor adherence to payment terms by the government such that government is exemplary,” he said.

Understanding that youth employment prospects are dependent on robust SMME sector growth, Mr Letsholo stated that the government required to employ measures to improve the ease of starting and running small enterprises.

 He indicated that global trends show that progressive and successful economies were driven by SMMEs.

Furthermore, Mr Letsholo implored the Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services to work on a solution that would enable his constituents to use water from various boreholes and wells for crop irrigation.

“This water has the potential to form the backbone of a programme that is complementary to Ipelegeng, relating to the creation of farming clusters that use the water for irrigation. These clusters will combine their produce in order to derive better returns,” he said.

Mr Letsholo also called on the government to make health issues in Kanye North a significant priority though construction of a government-owned hospital in the constituency. ENDS