Five advocate for agri-preneurship sports tourism
03 Oct 2024
Good Hope/Mmathethe constituency will see five candidates contesting in the upcoming general elections.
The constituency, which has also registered the highest number of eligible voters countrywide, has the Umbrella for Democratic Change’s (UDC) Mr Gone Seleka, Ms Peggy Serame of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Mr Mogomotsi Kaboeamodimo of Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), Mr Lesego Gatogang of Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and Dr Edwin Dikoloti, who will contest as an independent candidate.
With the constituency highly relying on agriculture, the candidates emphasised the importance of the sector as a potential vehicle to ignite the economy.
Ms Serame noted the numerous agricultural initiatives implemented by the BDP government such as Thuo and Temo Letlotlo, saying they were accessable to any eligible Motswana.
She also said electorate still needed to be mentored and encouraged to utilise government programmes effectively.
She said with numerous national projects having already started across the district, their focus would now be on infrastructure such as electricity and roads to invigorate farming production.
She also said the ruling party upgraded most sub-districts to full districts, including Good Hope/Mmathethe, and that it would enhance service delivery.
Botswana Congress Party’s Mr Gatogang said with abundant natural resources in the district which were not utilised, there was a need for change of government as the “ruling party had failed the constituency.”
He said the biggest challenge was corruption and that it needed to be dealt with. He argued that stopping corruption would attract investors to the district and the country at large.
Mr Gatogang also underscored the need for irrigation if the district was to go back to its glory days of being the bread basket of Botswana.
He said irrigation would boost farmers and that they would be productive all year round. He added that it would create more jobs in the district.
Dr Dikoloti, who would be contesting as an independent candidate, promised that his constituent’s wishes would always come first.
He too said the region needed attention, especially the agricultural sector. He said he ensured that every village in his former constituency had a borehole where residents could water their livestock for free.
Dr Dikoloti added that the initiative resulted in his former constituency registering the highest number of beneficiaries of the Youth Development Fund and other agricultural initiatives countrywide.
Furthermore, he said his former region was a hub of sport tourism and that he intended to promote the Good Hope/Mmathethe constituency once he was elected. He also said there was need to promote agri-preneurship in the district.
Mr Kaboeamodimo said he would ensure that the constituency was once the breadbasket of the country, adding that he would also address corruption.
He also said irrigation farming was the only solution for the region and that there was abundant land lying idle in the constituency.
He also said he would improve the road network in the constituency, saying the Mmathethe-Werda-Bray road was ignored despite the fact that it was on NDP8. Mr Kaboeamodimo argued the road would help farmers to reach markets easily.
Mr Seleka of the UDC pledged better living wages amongst a host of promises that his party has put on its manifesto.
He said the agricultural sector in the district, saying it was no longer producing anything for itself or the country.
He also said there was need for what he termed a mixed economy, explaining that the system would breath life into the agricultural sector. He said if given the mandate to rule his party would ensure that it gave farmers long-term loans and not meaningless loans such as Chema Chema. Ends
Source : BOPA
Author : Aobakwe Molefhi
Location : Good Hope
Event : Political Debate
Date : 03 Oct 2024