01 Dec 2021

Although the Kgalagadi region has great tourism potential, a lot still has to be done to position the area to be a significant player in the sector.

According to Kgalagadi North Member of Parliament, Ms Talita Monnakgotla, her constituency alone has three national parks, whose potential is yet to be adequately explored.

Ms Monnakgotla, who was contributing to the debate of the State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) on Tuesday, stated that Mabuasehube Game Reserve, Central Kgalagadi Game Reserve (CKGR) and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park could boost economic growth in Kgalagadi North and the entire region if the tourism sector in the area was supported.

She said while Mabuasehube was endowed with different kinds of wildlife and was much-loved by tourists, the park had no accommodation facilities in the form of hotels.

This, she said, impeded tourists’ visits to the park and consequently hampered the manner in which it could be contributing to the growth of the economy of the region.

As for the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Ms Monnakgotla said due to bad terrain, the park was not easily accessible, something that discouraged tourists from visiting it. On another issue, Ms Monnakgotla complained about the bad state of buildings at the Kang and Hukuntsi airstrips.

She also requested for the relocation of the Hukuntsi Airstrip, which she said was located within the village and therefore posed a threat to residents’ lives.

On health, the legislator called for the construction of a hospital in Hukuntsi in order to make health services more accessible to the people of Kgalagadi North.

She said although in the past specialists used to visit Kgalagadi North to see patients, the arrangement was discontinued, resulting in some patients failing to go to Princess Marina Hospital for further medical care. 

Ms  Monnakgotla said the situation had resulted in some patients dying.

As part of her debate, the lawmaker also thanked President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi for appointing women to positions of responsibility.

She said it was evidence of President Masisi’s faith and confidence in the ability of women to perform well in key positions of responsibility just like their male counterparts.

Also contributing to the SONA debate, Boteti East lawmaker, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe commended government for key projects that were undertaken in his constituency. Mr Lelatisitswe cited the recently completed Thalamabele-Mosu road and the ongoing water treatment plant project in Mmatshumo.

Despite such developments, the Member of Parliament said the constituency still needed other important development projects.

Among them he mentioned the need for a new and bigger hospital to cater for the growing population; a new and better-resourced police station to address the rising crime; a fire station, a modern landfill as well as a shelter to house victims of Gender-Based Violence.

Mr Lelatisitswe further indicated how unemployment was becoming a thorny issue that needed to be addressed speedily.

He said with Botswana having a youthful population that was yearning to go into the world of work, it was sad that employers still called for experience spanning many years, a requirement that youthful job seekers could not meet.

Calling for that to end, Mr Lelatisitswe observed that should the requirement be allowed to persist, the country would continue to lose out on the opportunity to benefit from its many brilliant minds that were lying idle.

On land allocation, the MP pointed out that delays in allocating plots was a constant challenge in Boteti East.

Attributing the problem to the emergence of squatting incidences, particularly in Letlhakane, the legislator said the issue was driving Batswana into a state of frustration.

Mr Lelatisitswe observed that for Botswana to be able to develop industries to drive economic growth, there was need to expedite land allocation to Batswana as well as to potential investors.

He said despite their valuable role in weaving society’s moral fibre and contributing to the country’s peace and stability, it was disappointing that churches too were feeling the pinch of delays in land allocation.

He appealed to government to speed allocation of land to churches so that they could build houses of worship and render service to communities without impediment.

In addition, the Member of Parliament implored the Special Economic Zones Authority and the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry to spearhead efforts to explore the potential of Boteti East in the areas of agriculture, mining, tourism and energy generation.

If fully explored, he said the sectors could generate many sustainable jobs that Batswana badly needed. Ends