03 Jul 2023

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has urged residents of Takatokwane to take advantage of the sand resource in the Kgalagadi area to produce quality bricks.

Addressing Takatokwane residents on Friday, President Masisi said using the Kgalagadi sand brick in particular could help revitalise rivers which were already in a bad state due to the depletion of their sand.

“The depletion of sand in our river systems allows all sorts of objects to flow into our dams, this in turn leads to the brewing of pathogens which when consumed by animals and humans alike leads to outbreaks of diseases,” the President said.

Therefore, he emphasised the need to use the abundant Kgalagadi sand for many uses such as in the construction industry. Also, he said such a practice would result in income generation throughout the value chain and generate wealth in poverty stricken communities.

In addition, in efforts to further diversify the economy, President Masisi revealed that government would soon add more products on the import ban list to broaden the production base to empower Batswana.

The President also called on Batswana not to shun indigenous practices but rather patent such knowledge and export it to other cultures to earn a living.

“Bomaitseanape ba dikitso tsa marapo tsa thobega ba ka sireletsa dikitso tsa bone mme morago ba di isa kwa dikokelong tsa mafatshe a sele go boloka matshelo mme seo sa ba direla letseno le le fa godingwana,” …translated to mean that would result in the appreciation of Batswana and their indigenous practices in foreign lands the same way other cultures and their medical practices had been embraced locally.

For his part, Minister of Transport and Public Works, Mr Eric Molale reiterated President Masisi’s views on the use of Kgalagadi sand brick.

Mr Molale said he had instructed his ministry to use the Kgalagadi sand brick on all major government projects.

“The increase of production and absorption of the Kgalagadi sand brick in government projects can result in both sustainability of the projects and profitability,” he said.

Meanwhile, some residents thanked the President for his visit saying it demonstrated his commitment in involving and consulting citizen on decision making processes.

Mr Tlotlo Batlhophi, commended the President’s fearless approach to issues citing the just recently ended constitutional review exercise. ENDS