14 Feb 2024

Member of Parliament for Tati East, Dr Douglas Letsholathebe has emphasised the importance of health and the delivery of medicines towards the country’s development drive.

Debating the 2024/2024 budget proposal, Dr Letsholathebe said it was such lessons that needed government to innovate and devise new ways of delivering better healthcare services.

He said the private sector should be facilitated to form partnerships with global manufacturers of medicines and to lure them to set up in Botswana. “We must use the strength of our budget to negotiate better supply terms as well as to lure companies that can set up in Botswana to manufacture medicines for Batswana,” he said.

With regard to the state of clinics in his constituency, Dr Letsholathebe decried the dilapidated state of clinics, saying there was need to build modern clinics in the catchment area as well as a primary hospital to ease congestion at Nyangabwe Referral Hospital.

Dr Letsholathebe also pleaded with the Minister of Defence and Security to prioritise the upgrading of the Matsiloje Police Station in the next financial year.

In addition, he said the construction of police posts at Ditladi, Matshelagabedi and Themashanga should also be considered.

He said due to their proximity to the border, the police posts had numerous cases of cross–border crimes, including illegal border crossing at Butale, Senyawe and Siviya as well as house break-ins and the smuggling of goods such as petrol.

He also said there was need for intensified border patrols to address the challenge.

The MP also talked about illegal gold mining in Matsiloje, Matopi and Patayamatebele.

He appealed to the Ministry of Defence and Security to consider constructing police posts at Matshelagabedi and Matsiloje to address crime in the area.

He said efforts by law enforcement officers on the ground were falling short due to insufficient manpower and urged the minister to consider increasing the number of police officers in the border villages.

Similarly, he said the Ministry of Defence and Security should consider regularly deploying Special Support Group officers and Botswana Defence Force personnel to villages affected by cross-border crimes, saying it was evident that their engagement reduced cross-border crime.

Furthermore, Dr Letsholathebe urged the Ministry of Finance to consider establishing a point of entry near Siviya, Jackalas 2 and Senyawe to make crossing the border between Zimbabwe and Botswana easier.

He said it would aid in reducing the vandalism of the border fence which was rife in the border villages.

On other issues, Dr Letsholathebe said residents were grateful that the Impala Rural Training Centre was one of the six centres that would be revamped into an artificial insemination centre.

He said it would bring artificial insemination services closer to farmers in the northern part of the country and that they would benefit from genetic advancements and other methods of improving their stock. ENDS