26 Feb 2020

The ongoing development of Kazungula bridge is one of the project pioneering integration of Africa, says Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Phandu Skelemani.

  Speaking during a courtesy call paid on him by the Chinese ambassador to Botswana, Dr Zhao Yanbo recently, said developing infrastructure linking Africa would  not only open up the continent and ease movement, but go a long way in improving trade relations. 

   He said developments in the country bore testimony that the Chinese were by nature hardworking people.

  “We appreciate the help we have been receiving from your country through among others; infrastructural development in the form of road networks and railway lines and will go a long way in opening up and linking Africa,” he said. 

 Mr Skelemani appealed to the Chinese government to assist in developing infrastructure to connect Africa saying countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo had the potential to provide the continent with potable water.    

“They have rivers flowing like a sea to water our people and fertile land to sustain our continent with food,” said Mr Skelemani.

He also applauded the long standing mutual and beneficial relationship between Botswana and China, saying it would be good to enhance it at the legislative level.

Mr Skelemani pointed out that the current parliament was made up of mostly new legislators and therefore needed benchmarking with their Chinese counterparts  to enhance their decision making and project prioritisation skills. 

He also observed that as a development powerhouse, China was advanced on issues of waste management and pollution control.

Botswana could use the technology at Gamodubu Landfill to produce biogas and ultimately limit the chances of pollution as a result of gases emitted by the waste.  

Meanwhile, Dr Zhao said as an advisory body, Parliament played a pivotal role in democracy principles and good governance.

 He said through the positive support of his country, his office had established positive and beneficial relations with  government and Botswana. 

“Over the 45 years, we have built a solid and strong foundation in our relationship and our people appreciate our relationship,” he said adding that the mutual understanding, support and cooperation benefited the two countries and its people.

He said despite being viewed as a nation with a fundamental and world class economy, China was still undergoing transformation.

 Dr Zhao said the move was focused on improving its people’s scientific capabilities, democracy and law based governance.

 “Our aim is to realise the modernisation of our government by 2035,” he said. 

 As a strong economic and development partner, Botswana had a lot to offer in China’s transformation journey, he said.

He said the transformation of China was focused not only on benefiting the people of China, but the global populace.

 “We are developing an inclusive world economy that is capable of providing equitable and fair development agenda to the world,” he said.

He stressed the importance of  people to people exchange to the agenda.

 Dr Zhao said annually, more than 3 000 Batswana visited China while last year alone, more than 70 citizens received scholarships to further their studies in the Asian country.

The ambassador said Botswana would continue to benefit from its bilateral relationship with China in the fields of infrastructural development and education among others. 

 He said the private sector also benefited from the relationship. ends