30 Nov 2020

Community trusts have been challenged to ensure that resources owned by trusts benefit communities.

The sentiments were echoed by Nata/Gweta MP, Mr Polson Majaga, when debating State-of-the-Nation Address on November 26.

 Mr Majaga said community trusts provided communities with an opportunity for accountable leadership and essential steps for rural dwellers to become more confident, pro-active and capable in all aspects of their lives.

He said a number of community trusts had collapsed primarily due to poor management and lack of unaccountability of funds and other assets.

 Some trusts board members, he said tend to abuse the power conferred on them by exploiting trust funds and resources for personal gain, something which he said had hugely contributed to the crumbling of many community trusts.

He said some trust members have exploited the ignorance of community members by completely ignoring the rules of transparency in the manner they took decisions.

Mr Majaga appealed to community trusts to act accountably towards their funds and assets to ensure the trust’s sustainability and empowerment of the community.

Nata/Gweta legislator also urged the government to build more hospitals across the country specifically in Gaborone to relief Princess Marina hospital which was ideally meant for referrals. He said another state of the art hospital should be built in Kasane to complement the tourism sector in the area.

 Mr Majaga further emphasized the need to introduce toll gates in highways with high traffic volume of cross border trucks. He said the conventional purpose of toll gates would be to generate revenue for the provision, management and maintenance of road infrastructure.

Contributing to the debate, Ghanzi North MP, Mr John Thite acknowledged government’s effort to liberate the beef industry. 

He stated that it was pleasing to note that the government had finally adhered to farmers’ quest to allow more players in the beef sector, a move which he said it would contribute positively towards the growth of the beef industry. 

Mr Thite also commended the completion of the Ghanzi master plan design audit review saying the proposed infrastructure development would upgrade the township’s status and create much-desired employment opportunities for the locals.

 He said it was pleasing to note that the long-anticipated Kuke water reticulation project was on cards as well as the P80 million CKGR water infrastructure development consisting of six borehole drilling and water treatment plant.

Mr Thite pleaded for the construction of an additional primary school in Ghanzi to address over-enrollment at Kgaphamadi, Kabakae and Ghanzi primary schools.

For his part, Chobe MP, Mr Machana Shamukuni applauded the completion of the Kazangula Bridge saying it will ease movement within the SADC region and enhance regional trade.

 He urged the government to ensure that the Kazungula Bridge Authority be established in the Botswana side of the bridge.

 Mr Shamukuni applauded the expansion of the Pandamatenga farms’ storage silos from the storage capacity of 30 000 metric tonnes to 60 000 metric tonnes.

 He also talked about the Zambezi integrated agro-commercial development project which he said had the potential to create over 2 500 employment opportunities and pleaded that it be fast-tracked.

 Mr Shamukuni said the development of the Economic Recovery Transformation Plan (ERTP) would re-boot the economy and cushion it from the unprecedented shock brought about by COVID-19.

He highlighted that the success of the ERTP was mostly dependent on project monitoring and implementation, thus insisted that all stakeholders ensure adequate and timely project implementation. ends