22 Nov 2022

Completion of the Okavango Bridge at Mohembo and the JP Kavindama Hospital in Shakawe makes a good developmental impact in the Okavango constituency.

These were the sentiments expressed by MP for Okavango, Mr Kenny Kapinga in response to the State-of-the-Nation Address in Parliament on Monday.

Mr Kapinga said the two major projects have brought happiness to his constituents, who are now hopeful of access to services.

However, the MP called upon government to expedite the official opening of these two major projects, noting that it was now becoming a concern that instead of the hospital becoming operational at once, it was now being opened in phases without any explanation.

Nonetheless, Mr Kapinga said the Okavango District was behind in terms of overall infrastructure and human development.

Other than its world-acclaimed tourist potential, Mr Kapinga said the Okavango area was rich in iron ore and petroleum, and to generate jobs and income, investment in mining should be pursued to transform the economic fortunes of the constituency.

Mr Kapinga further called for the rebuilding of the Kgomokgwana Veterinary Camp, which he said should have long been undertaken to relieve farmers from the costs of transporting and herding their cattle to quarantine camps elsewhere.

He also urged government to work on addressing the human/wildlife conflict that was rife in his constituency, including improving compensation given to cattle farmers when their livestock got killed by animals.

Moreover, Mr Kapinga lamented the situation of mining veterans whose health was compromised while working as migrant labourers in South Africa.

He said some were struggling to access compensation and healthcare support.

He also called for the Ministry of Health to better equip Boswelakoko Clinic, which he said lacked the requisite infrastructure and human capital to address the needs of his constituency.

Mr Kapinga said with Okavango having been declared a planning area, it had become cumbersome for residents in villages such as Shakawe to develop their plots as they had to first submit comprehensive designs and structural engineers’ reports to the council.

He urged government to look for means for citizens to circumvent this to ensure that ordinary people had shelter without compromising the stipulated layout.

Furthermore, Mr Kapinga said the duty of national security was about protecting ordinary citizens, but alleged that this was compromised by interference in the professional execution of duty.

He also said it was important to increase the budget of the Botswana Police Service, including financing the establishment of an extensive research unit that could undertake regular crime victimisation surveys which would inform a better response to law and order in the country.

Mr Kapinga also said the Directorate of Public Prosecutions should be given autonomy from the office of the Attorney General, and where possible the state should enable the construction of DPP annexe offices in all areas where there were magistrate courts.

Without an independent judiciary, Mr Kapinga said the country’s democracy would teeter on the brink of democracy, adding that the reconfiguration of parliamentary standing committees was worrisome.

Mr Kapinga said government should consider innovative steps to assist villages that were not yet connected to the national main electrical network grid, including the introduction of solar energy systems to drive digitisation in schools and delivery of healthcare services. ENDS