22 Nov 2020

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Mr Mabuse Pule has commended President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s visionary leadership and good governance.

Contributing to the ongoing debates to President Masisi’s State-of-the Nation Address, Mr Pule, who is also MP for Mochudi East, said Botswana was a beacon of democracy as evidenced by the peace and tranquillity that prevailed.

He said President Masisi had already shown signs of a visionary leader during his two-year term in office and urged legislators to support him during the tenure of his administration.

He said the President had a clear roadmap of his ambitions for Batswana, but the COVID-19 pandemic pointed the other direction. He said he had hopes that the envisaged economic recovery plan was an achievable dream. On the state of his constituency, Mr Pule said Mochudi East was lagging behind in terms of developments.

He said there were no big industries in the area and that meant lack of economic activities. He decried the sad state of infrastructure, citing Deborah Retief Memorial Hospital, which he said was old and dilapidated. 

He said despite the worn out stature, the hospital serviced the entire Mochudi east and west regions.

Mr Pule also decried the sad state of internal roads and pleaded with the government to set up a sporting facility in the region.

He was thankful for the revised ISPAAD programme and the recently introduced small stock initiative. He said the agriculture sector had the potential to turn the fortunes of Botswana around post the pandemic.

Mr Pule said the world economic outlook was clearly on a downward spiral due to the pandemic and Botswana was not sparred. He, however, expressed hope of an economic recovery.

The MP also decried high rates of unemployment among young people in places such as Mabalane, Phalakampa and Ramotlabaki.

For his part, Lerala/Maunatlala MP, Mr Setlhabelo Modukanele said gender-based violence (GBV) had reached a crisis level.

He said the BDP-led government had always prioritised preventative measures for GBV as espoused on its 2019 election manifesto. He said GBV was a complex issue with no single panacea to explain, adding that there were many and varied reasons that led to GBV.

Mr Modukanele, who is also the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development said informed research about the root cause of GBV must be encouraged. He urged legislators to remember that they were embodiments of national values and that the nation was looking up to them for guidance.

He commended government for the recent appointment of land board members, saying the land was a priority. He urged those responsible for allocating land to hasten the process and avoid backlogs. 

He applauded government for land tenure reforms and the planned land policy review.

MP for Francistown South Mr Wynter Mmolotsi said corruption in Botswana had been institutionalised and the perception that it was steered by political leadership did not help the situation.

Mr Mmolotsi said GBV had reached a critical level and deserved the utmost attention from all quarters. He urged the government to take a decisive action and set up a unit to deal with the problem of gender-based violence. He said there was a need to expedite GBV cases by setting up specialised courts.

Mr Mmolotsi, who is vice president for minority opposition Alliance for Progressives, said Botswana’s economy was projected to be worse than the 2008 recession post-COVID 19. 

He said credibility in government was at its lowest levels due to secrecy in decision- making. He said land was a necessity for every citizen and it was incumbent upon the government to ensure everyone had a residential or commercial plot.

Mr Mmolotsi argued that small-medium enterprises were not growing as they were facing daunting challenges. 

He urged government to invest in the small businessmen as it did with multinationals.  He said lack of access to water was hindering food production for arable farmers and advised government to establish borehole drilling schemes and offer farmers subsidised schemes for farms implements.

He said the small stock initiative was slow and unprofitable, thus pleaded with the government to focus on profitable and long term ventures such as youth performing arts. ends