02 Dec 2020

Selebi Phikwe West MP, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse says there is an opportunity to boost the economy of Phikwe by fast-tracking the review of the SPEDU mandate. 

“Most manufacturing companies operating in Phikwe have not benefited from the special incentives of tax, import duty and the 30 per cent off-take, hence it is time to accelerate the implementation of these incentives,” he said in his contribution to the State-of-the-Nation Address debate.

He said Selebi Phikwe was a textile hub, but that it was disappointing that some government agencies were not buying textile products from the town’s based companies.

He urged government to use its purchasing power to buy local goods to create and sustain jobs that would boost the town’s economy.

He said the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry needed to swiftly enact subsidiary legislation by way of a statutory instrument to prevent importation of school uniforms and personal protective clothing.

 Furthermore, Mr Keorapetse said the government and investors should prioritise Phikwe for BIUST mining compass, coal liquefaction plant, base metal smelters and refineries, steel manufacturing and general manufacturing. 

 He said Phikwe had well-serviced support infrastructure such as an airport, roads, water and electricity, saying it would be ideal for the government to consider relocating either a ministry headquarters or a big parastatal to Phikwe to boost the town and decongest Gaborone.

Concerning education, Mr Keorapetse highlighted that Phikwe schools were some of the best performing in the country, citing Meepong, Makhubu, Lebogang and Phatsimo which commonly featured among the top 10 best junior schools in Botswana. 

He, however, said there were concerns such as acute shortage of textbooks, equipment and materials for pupils and teachers,

Mr Keorapetse questioned the rationale behind the government’s decision to close the BCL mine, saying it had been the backbone of Selebi Phikwe economy.

He said the government’s decision to close the mine was a monumental mistake which government should admit and apologise for as copper and nickel prices had bounced back as predicted.

Mr Keorapetse said the closure of the mine was not an isolated incident as other copper mines in Botswana also bore the brunt of the commodity price rout. 

He said the continuous placement of the mine under liquidation was a heavy burden on the fiscus, saying over a billion Pula had been used so far in the process. 

He said the mine was in a position to reopen at any moment on condition of the removal of the liquidator, adding that two of the BCL shafts could be opened immediately for mining. 

ends