14 Feb 2013

Parliament  has adopted a motion that requested government to set up a specialised alcohol and drug treatment facility.

When tabling the motion, Gaborone Central MP, Mr Dumelang Saleshando argued that alcoholism and drug abuse required specialised treatment hence the urgent need to help addicts because alcoholism and drug abuse were a major problem in the country.

The MP expressed regret that there were no facilities providing rehabilitation services to assist those in dire need of such services. He noted  that the only non-governmental organisation, which had provided support for victims of drug and substances abuse was the Botswana Substance Abuse Support Network (BOSASNet).  Ministry of Health assistant minister, Mr Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri pointed out that government injected P472 000 into BOSASNet to continue offering clinical services.

BOSASNet, which offered clinical treatment to drug and alcohol addicts, was on the brink of collapse due to financial problems. Furthermore, Mr Saleshando said there were several cases of abuse of hard drugs at most of the schools in his constituency.

He pointed out that if the problem was not addressed urgently, there was a possibility that Botswana could lose a generation of young people to drugs and substance abuse thus the need to implement the decision immediately.

Meanwhile, an attempt by Francistown South MP, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi to call for a division after Parliament rejected his motion for government to reconsider its decision to ban the sale of Chibuku from homesteads hit a snag.

Mr Mmolotsi had tabled a motion requesting government to rescind its decision on the sale of Chibuku in households and instead, to regulate Chibuku traders at their homes until plots for beer gardens were found.

He had argued that the motion was premised on the fact that people who used to sell Chibuku from their homesteads were plunged into absolute poverty when the regulations were effected last year.

Mr Mmolotsi said many of the former Chibuku traders who did not know of any other means of survival, were currently being assisted by the department of social and community development. ENDS