23 Nov 2021

The lack of access to mechanised draught power by farmers of Okavango constituency continues to stall efforts to enhance agricultural production.

According to Okavango MP Mr Kenny Kapinga, who was debating the State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) Monday, the state of extreme poverty that continued to manifest in the constituency had resulted in farmers failing to source modern draught power for use in their farming endeavours.

Mr Kapinga said it was sad that farmers in the constituency still relied on the use of donkeys for ploughing.

The legislator also complained that farmers in the area continued to get minimal returns from their farming efforts due to circumstances beyond their control.

He said the long distance from major centres as well as poor accessibility as a result of bad roads linking the constituency with other areas affected prices at which their produce was being bought.
MP Kapinga thus appealed for better roads to ease movement in and out of the constituency.

On President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s announcement during delivery of the SONA that he would expand his small stock initiative through by also donating bulls, the legislator cautioned the former to watch against receiving and later donating stolen stock.

Mr Kapinga said the President should interrogate the sources of the donated bulls to ensure they were not stolen and that he should thereafter disclose to the nation information on where he had received the donations from.

On a different matter, Mr Kapinga said public infrastructure in his constituency was in a deplorable state because of lack of maintenance.

The MP said the situation was exacerbated by a bat infestation problem which he indicated was a challenge in almost all the villages of the constituency.

Due to the problem being rampant especially in government facilities, he said there was a need for a permanent solution informed by architectural design, arguing that since the bat infestation persisted and manifested across the constituency, measures needed to be taken to speedily contain the situation.

Regarding health and wellness, Mr Kapinga commended government for the high standard clinic in Beetsha which comprised key amenities such as a laboratory and a maternity wing.

He however decried the under-resourcing of the facility particularly in terms of personnel.

Mr Kapinga noted that in spite of its size, the clinic only had four nurses and no doctor, a situation that he said still rendered access to quality health services a challenge.

He said the shortage of staff at the facility exhibited a lack of sympathy by government for Okavango residents.

On gender based violence (GBV), the MP said it was disappointing that the inter-ministerial committee on GBV, which ought to be championing the war against the societal ill, was being over-shadowed by the First Lady, Ms Neo Masisi.

He expressed displeasure that instead of being at the forefront of the war on GBV, the team of ministers assigned to the committee had let it become dormant.

Mr Aubrey Lesaso, the Shoshong MP, similarly decried the state of disrepair of most public facilities and government infrastructure.

Mr Lesaso said it was improper that the facilities and infrastructure were allowed to lie in a deplorable state though government had plowed billions into their construction.

He said with a sound maintenance programme, the upkeep and preservation of facilities and infrastructure, including the repair of furniture in those facilities, could create employment opportunities for Batswana possessing the requisite skills for such jobs.

On what has been achieved in the Shoshong constituency, MP Lesaso thanked government for among others; the ongoing construction of the Dibete and Kodibeleng clinics, the maintenance of Rural Area Development Programme (RADP) hostels in Mosolotshane, the routine maintenance of the Dibete-Otse road as well as the almost-complete internal roads project in Shoshong.

On some of the developments that were still lacking in the constituency, the MP called for the construction of a bus rank in Shoshong which would service especially long-distance buses that passed through the village.

MP Lesaso also called for the installation of streetlights in Shoshong, saying  that would help enhance the safety of residents.

Further to that, he said given the constituency being among areas with a high concentration of cattle in Botswana, it was vital that an abattoir be constructed in it.

He said with the number of cattle in the Sandveld ranches and in the rest of the constituency; the area had a strong case for such a facility. ENDS