29 Nov 2023

Leader of the House and Vice President, Mr Slumber Tsogwane says opposition politicians must be guided by moral responsibility and therefore must resort to constructive criticism.

Responding to the State-Of-the-Nation Address on Tuesday, Mr Tsogwane said it was unfortunate that opposition politicians were finding it difficult to give credit where it was due noting that President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi in his address delivered on the promise made to the nation.

“Opposition legislators’ contributions must be guided by moral obligation, bearing in mind that whatever they say must not lead the nation astray,” he said.

He said the ruling party had shown unwavering dedication and commitment to serving the people who had placed their trust on them.

Despite encountering challenges along the way, among them the COVID-19 pandemic, and recessions affecting the world economy, Mr Tsogwane said through resilience and guidance of a dedicated leader in President Masisi, the BDP government was able to deliver on its promise.

He said the journey towards establishing an inclusive and high income economy by 2036 was on track adding that government had in place programmes, policies and initiatives that would ensure that people optimally contributed to growing and directing the economy.

Mr Tsogwane said through the Development Manager model, projects would be delivered on time and within budget.

In the past, he noted the development process was marred by among others corruption, delays and substandard work, therefore the DM model was a remedy to past challenges.

Mr Tsogwane also applauded First Lady Neo Masisi for her recognition by UNAIDS as Champion in her engagement of adolescent girls and young women.

He said Ms Masisi was doing well through her initiatives of fighting gender-based violence (GBV), use of drugs, and child abuse through a campaign dubbed Di Palametse.

He said one of the memorable and key achievements by President Masisi was the signing of the new diamond sales agreement between the government and DeBeers, the development, which he said would not only increase revenue generated through diamonds but equally explore the diamond value chain ensuring that more Batswana were involved in the sector.

Additionally, he said new diamond polishing and cutting companies had invested in the country, creating 4 239 employment opportunities.

Mr Tsogwane said the introduction of secure title deeds had improved the value of land owned by people in the rural communities.

He added that the drive to allocate 100 000 plots was a move to push the backlog at various land authorities, urging those who had  been allocated land to desist from making unnecessary queries and delaying the process of allocating plots to first-time applicants.

In an effort to promote locals participation in the tourism sector, he said 45 campsites had been allocated to locals at among other localities, Khutse Game Reserve and Central Kalahari Game Reserve.

As such, Mr Tsogwane appealed to legislators to encourage people to take advantage of such opportunities and make a meaningful contribution to the tourism sector.

Additionally, Mr Tsogwane said National Arts Council was established to create opportunities in the arts industry.

He noted that P80 million was disbursed in the previous year through Youth Development Fund creating 1 320 jobs and empowering the youth to develop entrepreneurial skills and actively contribute to the economy.

He said the country had been ambitious in taking the country to the fourth industrial revolution through the robust project of connective internet to various localities of the country through village connectivity.

Mr Tsogwane said about P70 million had been disbursed under Transitional National Development to fund 40 973 farmers across the country to equip boreholes to intensify production of vegetables and horticulture produce. He said the funded enterprises had created employment for 34 194 people.

On issues relating to his constituency of Boteti West, he said government had made efforts to address some of the major concerns in his constituency.

He said in the past, Boteti was among the areas affected by FMD but through government intervention, the issue was amicably addressed.

He said one of the projects done in Boteti was the installation of an electric fence to manage the Human-Wildlife conflict in localities such as Khumaga and Moremaoto.

Mr Tsogwane said even though the electric fence project was vandalised after the theft of solar panels that were powering the fence, government through the intervention of President

Masisi resuscitated the project as the installation of an electric fence to control the movement of wildlife was ongoing.

He also added all the villages in his constituency had been connected to the national electricity grid.

Mr Tsogwane also said one of the positive achievements that were done in the constituency was the establishment of the annual Xere Cultural Festival.

Boteti West benefited from the loan from World Bank in upgrading water in the constituency, he said.

He said the Motopi-Makalamabedi road was also earmarked for tarring and assured the community of the implementation of the project  despite issues raised by some contractors during the tender process.

He appreciated companies which played a role in driving health development in his area by contributing towards the establishment of some health facilities for the benefit of the community.

Relating to Temo Letlotlo, Mr Tsogwane said if utilised fully, the programme  would benefit Batswana and improve food security. ENDS