30 Nov 2021

Mmadinare constituency has been described as a shining example of how much communities can achieve through the use of government programmes and initiatives.

Contributing to the ongoing debate on the State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, Mmadinare Member of Parliament, Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi commended the constituency for embracing the different empowerment programmes at their disposal and doing their utmost to get the most out of them.

Mr Molebatsi said cooperative societies, the cluster fencing initiative and conservation trusts were among those that the constituency was leaning towards.

He said the Mmadinare Cooperative Society was among those that were doing reasonably well, saying the society had leased out a chunk of its land to a private investor so as to bring in revenue.

He added that a chicken abattoir being built for Sefhophe’s Mmasebotse Cooperative Society was nearing completion, and expressed optimism that the community would run the facility effectively.

Meanwhile, he explained that Tamasane, Kgagodi and Damuchujenaa communities were also into cooperatives and had ventured into bread production, sorghum milling and school uniform production, respectively.

On cluster fencing, Mr Molebatsi stated that in addition to the cluster fence in Sefhophe, the constituency also took pride in the 7 000-hectare cluster fence in Mogapinyana, which he said was the second largest in the country.

He said the efforts being made by communities in the Mmadinare constituency were evidence that communities could empower themselves and put themselves in a position to generate wealth through effective use of programmes and initiatives.

Nonetheless, Mr Molebatsi said the constituency still lagged behind in certain key developments such as internal roads.

Furthermore, he called for the setting up of a sub-district council in Mmadinare, saying accessing services from Bobirwa Sub-district Council in Bobonong disadvantaged communities in the Mmadinare constituency.

On the state of unemployment in the country, the Member of Parliament highlighted the need for government to address the challenge urgently.

He said Botswana’s unemployed, in particular the youth, were growing hopeless with each passing day.

He said as a short-term measure, government should make it a requirement that companies seeking to compete for government tenders should have a certain number of youths in their employ.

As a long-term solution, the lawmaker called for the alignment of the country’s education system to market needs.

He said there should also be a set age at which public officers would be encouraged to leave work to pursue business interests and that government should incentivise those willing to follow such a path.

Also debating the SONA, Tlokweng Member of Parliament, Mr Thulagano Segokgo said with a population of 55 000 people, Tlokweng needed a senior secondary school as well as a hospital.

Mr Segokgo also appealed for the expansion of water and sewerage services to Mmaratanang, a part of Tlokweng whose growth, he said was fast-paced.

On issues of national concern, he said while Botswana still had a lot of ground to cover in the development of the renewable energy sub-sector, the country was intent on moving along with the rest of the globe and would therefore work hard to realise such an ideal.

He said the tabling of the National Energy Policy during the winter sitting of Parliament was evidence of government’s commitment in this respect.

Mr Segokgo explained that through guidance from the policy, the country would forge towards doubling its power generation, and that it would entail, among others, the setting up of solar, wind and thermal power stations.

On the other hand, the Member of Parliament dismissed arguments that the country was swimming against the tide in expanding its coal-powered electricity generation activities, indicating that presently Botswana’s carbon footprint was minimal.

Mr Segokgo also pointed out that the country was doing well in the expansion and refurbishment of its national road network as some key road projects were either complete or nearing completion.

Citing one road in a bad state, he stated that construction of the Gumare-Mohembo road would be undertaken soon and explained that the project was currently at adjudication stage. Ends