15 Jan 2014

Botswana’s workforce is its main undoing when it comes to attracting foreign investors, South East South MP, Mr Odirile Motlhale told Mogobane residents, January 14.

He said the World Economic Forum had identified poor work ethic within the private and public sectors as the main hindrance to doing business in Botswana.

This, he said, had led to the country’s inability to compete adequately for foreign direct investments. Mr Motlhale warned that before investors decided on their next investment destination, they assessed their potential destination’s ease of doing business.

Hence, he said Botswana had been missing out because of its poor workforce, despite efforts made by institutions such as Botswana Investment and Trade Centre to lure them.

He said although poor work ethic was not the only problematic area in doing business in the country, there was need for change in mindset. He said examples of poor work ethic were evident in every part of the country even at family level.

The MP called upon the residents and public officers to do their best in whatever work they carried out. In their contributions to the MP’s remarks, residents concurred with the MP that poor work ethics remained a burden to the country.

One resident, Mr Busang Mosala complained about the quality of the service they got from civil servants in the village. He said some services and decision were imposed upon them as they were never consulted by decision makers.

Another resident, Ms Tsholofelo Letshoo pointed out that some village development committee members sometimes refused to assist them under the pretext that assistance was being sought outside knockoff times. Generally community members complained they were often tossed from one point to another when seeking service from the government officials.

When earlier welcoming the MP, Kgosi Ralinki Moilwa said despite recent rains the drought spell still persisted and livestock continued to die while the Mogobane dam was now at its lowest.

However, the MP said the government had introduced feeds subsidy to help farmers to cope with the draught situation. He said the government took the decision to help mitigate against the drought situation. ENDS