09 Dec 2019

 Bobirwa legislator Mr Taolo Lucas has urged the government to respond swiftly to the plight of farmers in the Bobirwa area.

Responding to the State-Of-Nation Address, Mr Lucas said farmers in Bobirwa continued to lose livestock to criminals from neighbouring Zimbabwe due to failure to maintain fences and free movement of cattle between the two countries.

Mr Lucas called upon the Ministry of Justice Defence and Security to deploy the Botswana Defence Force and Special Support Group (SSG) cadres along the border with Zimbabwe to strengthen the capacity of the police. 

He said by so doing, it would help the police to respond effectively to the serious crimes along the Botswana-Zimbabwe border that involves cutting of the fence by rustlers.

The MP stated that at times farmers or herdsmen were attacked by cattle rustlers and left their cattle unattended and thereby creating a loophole for more theft.

He decried that if the government does not act swiftly, this could only spell doom and for Bobirwa residents who relied solely on farming for sustenance.

Mr Lucas also said human and wildlife conflict was also a major concern for Babirwa as animals terrorised them in their ploughing fields.

He also called on the government to tar the Moletemane road as well as to maintain the Lepokole one. 

He said it did not make economic sense to pave the 19km Lepokole road rather than to tar it given the difference on the amount spent on tarring it.

Mr Lucas also decried that health facilities in Bobirwa were congested, adding that government should move promptly to upgrade the Borotsi Clinic to include a maternity ward and that the hospital promised for 2022 should not be deferred because residents were suffering.

Mr Lucas also suggested that the government should consider upgrading all clinics in major villages to include maternity wards. 

He also called for the speedy allocation of plots stating that 10 400 Babirwa have been awaiting plot allocation for the past 14 years.

On other issues, he called on the government to empower councils to run themselves for effective decentralisation of services. 

He said the Central District should be divided and that Bobirwa should be a district council to ensure services reached constituents timely.

Mr Lucas also urged the government to be as consultative as possible during the constitutional review exercise, adding that the three arms of Parliament, Executive and the Judiciary should be independent. 

On education, he called on the government to address teachers working conditions adding that the teacher-student ratio was a cause for concern which contributed to poor pass rate. ENDS