12 Jun 2022

 Government, through the Rural Development Council (RDC), continues to work towards development of rural communities, by bringing to them services that would otherwise be available only to people in urban areas. 

Vice President and council chairperson Mr Slumber Tsogwane, said this Thursday at the council’s meeting in Gaborone. 

Mr Tsogwane said as government’s chief advisor on rural development, the RDC was determined to see Batswana in rural areas leading better lives. 

To that end, the council had ensured that job creation, poverty eradication and reduction of inequalities was prioritised in service delivery to rural communities. 

Thus, in its oversight function and coordination of rural development policies, plans and projects across ministries, the RDC was eager to see rural communities benefitting from government’s digitalisation efforts as espoused in the Re-Set Agenda, he said. 

Mr Tsogwane said digitalisation would ensure all Batswana had equal chance to develop, adding it was a must for the country to achieve high income status and meet the aspirations of Vision 2036. 

He said government had therefore prioritised digitalisation for rural communities, with a view to migrating services to online platforms. 

Mr Tsogwane said in pursuit of that plan, government had started rolling out free Wi-Fi to some areas and in places such as schools, dikgotla, libraries and hospitals. 

Further, work was ongoing to provide high-speed internet to all villages around the country. 

Updating the council on its projects, he said they were doing well, and continued to be of immense benefit to rural communities. 

These included Lubu Small Stock Farm in Kgalagadi, Mogobane Irrigation Scheme in South East, Zutshwa Salt Project in Boteti, small stock abattoir in Tsabong and others in Kasane and Selebi Phikwe. 

Mr Tsogwane also said government was putting a lot of effort in the development and commercialisation of small stock farming to take advantage of emerging markets, promote local economic development in rural areas as well as promote SMMEs. 

Assistant ministers of Agriculture and Local Government, Messrs Molebatsi Molebatsi and Mabuse Pule respectively, accompanied the Vice President. BOPA