19 Dec 2022

Member of Parliament for Francistown South Mr Wynter Mmolotsi has urged government to promote citizen participation in the development and growth of the economy.

He was making contributions to debates on the presentations on the Public Investment Programme as Parliament discussed the approval of the draft second Transitional National Development Plan (TNDP) which spans April 2023 to March 2025.

Mr Mmolotsi said TNDP with a budget estimate of over P64 billion, it was the responsibility of government to ensure Batswana played a major role in targeted projects.

He said government recently passed the Economic inclusion Bill which promoted citizen participation and its empowerment provisions must be captured through the active participation of Batswana in mega projects.

He said different projects that were coming up needed to be reserved for citizen inclusion in the economy. Mr Mmolotsi said it was not true that local companies had no capacity because they were not tried and tested. He said all the mega projects had to be unbundled so that the investment of P64 billion should be seen and appreciated.

He applauded efforts made by the ministry of land in allocations and said home ownership must be the priority for the ministry.

He said government must consider legislation on sectional titles and lift the moratorium to allow Batswana to buy pool houses as a way of giving them land to empower them.

He proposed to the minister of water to consider prepaid billing to avoid exorbitant charges which had caused problems in the past.

Specially elected MP Ms Beauty Manake said the Chobe-Zambezi water transfer scheme would help in job creation, especially in the Chobe special economic zone.

She said government would consider sugar plantations to curb lack of sugar which was not imported but in short supply.

She thanked the minister for land servicing in the SPEDU area which would attract local businesses to set up and employ youth in the area.

Ms Manake said lack of accommodation in the education sector remained a challenge and urged for a quick response.

She said reforms made by government were visible and urged the communications minister to upgrade ICT services in rural settlements to be utilized by those engaged in farming and modern techniques.

MP for Kgalagadi South Mr Sam Brooks said government was spending much on supplying water to residents of the cluster through the current arrangement of bowsing. He said most projects that were being undertaken in Kgalagadi were not benefiting communities as they did not participate.

Mr Brooks decried the poor performances of schools in his area because of inhabitable conditions adding that plans were made without any schools being built thereby resulting in some students walking over 10km daily to school.

He said Bokspits police station was dilapidated and the border fence was destroyed which incited criminal activities and posed threats of foot and mouth disease. MP for Ngami Mr Cater Hikuama said government must explain integrated farming as it was not clearly spelt out. He applauded the water projects and asked the minister to fix the Semolo water plant which supplies Kareng, Sehithwa and neighbouring villages.

He said classifying communities as outside the water plan was something that needed to be scrapped out. Mr Hikuama suggested government to implore the public private partnership model to deal with the Habu underground water salinity.

He called for the assistance of the police air support in cases of missing persons and stock theft.
Chobe MP Mr Machana Shamukuni reiterated the call for citizen participation and urged local companies to avoid poor workmanship. He said they must deliver projects timely to avoid cost overruns.

He thanked the minister for rehabilitating the Lesoma – Kazungula network and water treatment plant. He said despite the investment in the distribution networks there was a worrying trend of system breakdown.

Mr Shamukuni said waste water in Kasane was poor and needed rehabilitation as effluent water was all over the area posing health hazards. He said there were provisions for the improvement of infrastructure with the construction of roads in the area. ENDS