23 Feb 2021

The country’s political leadership is committed to running a transparent, corrupt-free government, Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Mr Dumezweni Mthimkhulu has said.

Mr Mthimkhulu, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Gaborone South, said insinuations that the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) leadership had become involved in corrupt dealings during the state of emergency were false. He noted that last year President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi had specified that his ministers should not get involved in tenders relating to COVID-19 procurement, and that it had practically been the case.

Mr Mthimkhulu also noted that the current budget had placed emphasis on curbing financial wastage in order for state funds to be adequately used for development. In matters relating to his constituency, Mr Mthimkhulu said residents of Gaborone South neighbourhoods located close to Gaborone Dam should benefit from the proposal by the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism to take advantage of the tourism potential of the dam.

Acknowledging that the Ministry of Basic Education had been allocated a significant share of the budget, Mr Mthimkhulu called for decongesting the classrooms of schools in high-density areas such as Old Naledi, Bontleng and New Stands in his constituency.

He said while his constituents had access to clinics such as Old Naledi, Extension 14, Bontleng, Extension 2 and Village, some of the clinics were congested due to their size and limited operating hours as well as the number of people accessing them. He said the clinics should be supported with more personnel.

He also called for the Old Naledi Clinic to be expanded as it catered for a high-density area, and that the Extension 14 Clinic should operate 24 hours. Adding his voice to the debate, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and Mochudi East MP, Mr Mabuse Pule commended the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Dr Thapelo Matsheka for coming up with a balanced budget in difficult circumstances of COVID-19 on the economy.

He said he was pleased that Dr Matsheka had projected that after the economy contracted over the past year, there was an anticipated economic growth over the next financial year.

Mr Pule said he supported the proposed Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD) restructuring since he believed there should be value for money in the amounts spent on supporting agricultural production. He lamented poor infrastructure in the Mochudi East constituency, calling for improving roads linking Modipane and Sikwane as well as Bokaa and Kopong in the Kweneng District.

Mr Pule also said Kgatleng needs a proper district hospital, and that the provision of water and electricity supply in his constituency was also a challenge. Furthermore, Mr Pule said he had noted a serious lack of motivation and poor work ethic among government workers in different parts of the country, adding that the situation needed to be addressed. ENDS