03 Mar 2014

The Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Mr Patrick Masimolole says not all the brigade centres have been refurbished as the ministry has designed a plan to maintain 10 brigades per financial year.

Responding to a question in Parliament from the Member of Parliament for Okavango, Mr Bagalatia Arone on February 27, Mr Masimolole said so far, seven brigades namely; Okavango, Ngethu, Chobe, Palapye, Tshwaragano, KRDA and Ghanzi were maintained during the 2012/23 financial year.

Mr Masimolole said 10 brigade centres were due for maintenance this financial year, Zwenshambe, Marapong, Tutume, Nswazi, Tswapong Bokone, Shoshong, Madiba, Senyawe, Bobonog and Kweneng Bophirima.

The projects were at tender evaluation stage and completion of work was expected during the second quarter of 2014/15. The remaining 20 brigades would be refurbished by the end of the current period.

All brigade staff members who qualified for absorption into government establishment have been absorbed, while those who did not quality were redeployed and others opted for exit packages.

“Procurement of computers (Information Technology Equipment) and networking for all the brigade centers is ongoing and the project is expected to be completed by April 2014,” he said.

Mr Arone had asked Mr Masimolole to give an update on the state of brigades in Botswana after the completion of the take-over process and in consideration of the following to state whether all Brigades Center had been refurbished as promised.

The minister was also requested to state if all staff members had been absorbed into the government establishment and whether procurement of computers for the ten selected brigades was done. ENDS