27 Nov 2019

Member of Parliament for Sefhare/Ramokgonami Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang has said benefits of Botswana’s post-independence economic growth have not trickled down to the masses, particularly in the rural areas.

Debating the State-of-the-Nation Address on Monday, Dr Gobotswang said this had led to a situation that could be classified as growth with uneven development.

He observed that there seemed to be an uneven pace and distribution of development across all regions in Botswana which subsequently created regional disparities.

He said regional disparities in the development of the country might slow the growth of the national economy adding that it was therefore important for government to establish a policy imperatives for narrowing the urban rural socio economic disparities.

Dr Gobotswang said it appeared project implementations in certain regions was done adequately while in other regions developments were carried out at a snail pace.

“It is pleasing to note that the President in his address, stated that road infrastructure remains a fundamental aspect of a sustainable economic growth.

However, I need to express my disappointment to the fact that the President did not mentioned anything on the commencement of the Radisele/Pilikwe road infrastructure,” he said.

He said the Radisele/Pilikwe road was to be initially constructed through Phase two of the Economic Stimulus Projects but was later deferred to be constructed  under the Chinese government development grant, a deal which was yet to materialise.

Dr Gobotswana stated that his constituents had also been long promised a unified school which was supposed to have been built at the same time with the Takatokwane and Tsabong Unified schools as well as a technical college in Chadibe village but government had not yet delivered on its promise.

Ngami Member of Parliament, Mr Kainangura Hikuama pleaded with government to provide a conducive environment for economic growth in rural areas through provision of better infrastructure.

He pleaded with government to invest on the development of key economic enabler projects that would support growth such as transportation and logistics in all regions of the country.

He said infrastructure and utilities like electricity and water, telecommunication services and sewerage systems were essential towards creating a conducive economic environment that would benefit the country and its people.

He said it was about time government took the decision to equipping boreholes in the Lake Ngami area to assist farmers with livestock water sources following the drying up Lake Ngami.

Mr Hikuama expressed worry over the poor academic results in his constituency which he said could be attributed to teachers shunning redeployments in rural areas. He thus implored government to roll out special dispensations to teachers in rural areas. ENDS