16 Feb 2020

Minister of Defence, Justice and Security says government will not procure fighter jets.

Responding to the 2020/21 budget proposals in Parliament on February 13, Mr Kagiso Mmusi said funds allocated would be used to upgrade radar operations as well as integrate landing systems, which were classified as air assets.

“I want to assure Batswana that at the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security things will be done transparently and with utmost accountability,” he said.

Minister Mmusi, who is also MP for Gabane-Mmankgodi, welcomed the Mogoditshane-Mmankgodi dual carriageway which would be constructed in the next financial year.

He, however, requested that the Gabane to Mmankgodi via Tlowaneng road also be expedited, saying it would ease traffic congestion during the construction of the dual carriageway.

Mr Mmusi also applauded government for establishing a committee that would rationalise parastatals. On transformation, he said there was need for infrastructure improvement for better service delivery.

He called upon all political leaders to be committed towards the implementation of targeted strategies outlined in the budget to address social ills such as the high unemployment, family break downs and intrusive crimes.

Furthermore, he said the budget speech facilitated the fight against corruption, adding that he was committed to ensuring its success.

He further said technological advancement had to be up to date if Botswana was to catch up with the rest of the world in the fourth industrial revolution.

Thamaga-Kumakwane MP, Mr Palelo Motaosane said funds allocated to ministries were not efficiently used.

He said he could not understand how government’s wage bill could be high when Kweneng District Council was so under staffed that the two sub-districts, Mogoditshane-Thagama and Lentsweletau/Letlhakeng were not efficiently providing services.

MP Motaosane further said while the finance minister had talked about reviews of government programmes, his concern was the amount taken to undertake such exercises. He said government had talked about reviewing ISPAAD.

The Thamaga-Kumakwane legislator said maintenance should be carried at stipulated times, saying failure to do so had seen government incurring huge expenses because infrastructure had to be reconstructed.

He also said he was concerned early childhood education introduced would not bring desired results as the programme seemed to have been done haphazardly, and did not have a head of department in all schools.

MP Motaosane also wondered how Kweneng was not declared a special economic zone while the district had the potential to feed the country. He urged government to stop exploiting intern officers, saying they should be paid more instead of allowances equal to tertiary students.

Mr Buti Billy, MP for Francistown East, said public service standards should be at par with the best in the world for the country to attain its transformation agenda.

He said he was happy government had seen the private sector as an important factor in building the economy, hence the need for a private sector led economy.

MP Billy said the creative arts industry had the potential of employing a lot of youth, hence the need for the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development to be supported. He also advocated for the establishment of an arts regulatory body.

MP Baratiwa Mathoothe of Serowe North said government had not been efficient in its spending, hence millions went down the drain due to failed projects.

He said government paid rent to buildings it did not occupy and that

the poor academic performance of Patikwane Junior Secondary. ends