05 Sep 2021

The University of Botswana (UB) and Manyana Community Development Trust have signed a memorandum of understanding to promote global partnerships towards establishing community driven economic growth. 

The aim is to package Manyana into a model smart village promoting  Botswana’s knowledge economy agenda based on its heritage tourism. 

Speaking during the signing ceremony recently, UB Vice Chancellor, Professor  David Norris said through the development trust, Manyana had achieved an approved transformation strategy for expanding into a diversified environment, within the norms and know-how of their tradition. 

He said the smart villages system brought benefits such as better analysis and control of physical infrastructure, expansion of markets and communities access to their administrations. 

Professor Norris commended Kgosi Kebinatshwene Mosielele of Bahurutshe for not waiting for change to happen, but taking the lead. “You have taken the initiative to mobilise yourselves and explore practical solutions to the day to day challenges you face as a community,” he said. 

Together, he said they could offer the nation a model for decentralisation and bottom up economic growth. 

For his part, Kgosi Mosielele said he believed the partnership would bring great benefits and  thanked Professor Norris for bringing the university to the people. 

He said he was very grateful for the MoU because his vision was that in a few years, there would be no one working for Ipelegeng in his village. 

“We intend to create jobs through tourism, smart city and make sure that the welfare and the economies of our villagers are uplifted,” he added. 

He indicated that Manyana was endowed with historical events and with the assistance of UB, future generations would get to know about them, citing the 1852 Dimawe battle where Batswana fought the invading Boers. 

The idea, he said, was to have their trust in the wider Botswana community in an effort to generate funds to achieve their aim of creating jobs for communities. 

The trust’s Secretary General explained that universities were national centres of expertise, therefore the partnership would empower the village to achieve growth. 

He said the partnership would create a powerful example of self-reliance and enablement not just for the benefit of Manyana, but the nation at large. 

“Our MoU calls for joint activities to produce thriving local economies, which would have impact on products and services diversification in areas of health, education, food and creative industries,” he said. 

Professor Jean Delport said the event was historic for UB and Manyana, noting that one of the greatest opportunities for growth in Botswana was decentralisation, of which the MoU was a step in the right direction towards preparing for it. 

“Decentralization would succeed if it is started at villages where majority of people lives,” he said. Ends