28 Nov 2019

Implementation of public projects is one area that government should focus on by putting in place stringent project management measures to ensure timely delivery.

Debating the State-of-Nation-Address on Wednesday, MP for Nata-Gweta, Mr Polson Majaga observed that there was a culture of continuously planning good projects which were never implemented according to plan or when implemented had cost-overruns.

He said, as a result, implementation of projects had become a daunting problem for government and electorates.

He suggested that senior managers or heads of department given the responsibility to supervise public projects be hired on contracts with specific targets to meet project deadlines  to ensure there were no cost overruns and shoddy job.

“This, I believe, calls for the government to review the existing processes of project implementation in order to expedite service delivery if we are to succeed in service delivery to constituents,” he stated

He further said there was a need to merge some parastatals to ensure there was no duplication of roles as was currently the case.

With regards to minerals, he said the government should guard Batswana’s interests in the mines through policy frameworks to ensure beneficiation initiatives favoured them.

He commended the government’s efforts to review the Marriage Act as a welcome development as it took into consideration the age of consent for marriage.

Mr Majaga also appealed to government to make climate change compulsory for school curriculum so that children understood its effects from a young age and as such fight it from an understanding point of view from a tender age.

Specially elected MP, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse appealed to the 12th Parliament to consider making policy and legislative support services that dealt with rape.

He said rape was inhumane hence its punishment should be commensurate with the offence.

He said legislators should be at the forefront to protect women and girls, who form majority of victims of the crime.

“Rape is not an expected result of hanging out with the opposite gender or how someone is dressed. It is inhumane to rape,” he said

He said rape suspects should not be granted bail as they were a risk to the public.

Mr Autlwetse further said there was a need to decentralise services at districts for smooth delivery of services at districts.

He said decentralisation policy provided for the strengthening of local government to facilitate more effective citizen participation in governance and accountable delivery of public services.

He noted that it would also empower districts to be the focal point for planning and delivery of public services as the district authorities were the ones acquainted with the kind of services the public needed most and would know how to distribute services according to needs. ENDS