NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

N O T I C E P A P E R

(FRIDAY 19TH MARCH, 2021)

NOTICE OF MINISTER’S QUESTION TIME

(FOR ORAL ANSWER ON FRIDAY 26TH MARCH, 2021)

Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration

THEME: VOTER REGISTRATION FOR 2019 GENERAL ELECTIONS

To ask the Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration:

(i) if he is aware that when Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) was conducting voter registration for 2019 General Elections, they also collected names and cell phone numbers on a separate paper for all registered voters;

(ii) why was this exercise done;

(iii) where was the collected names and cell phone numbers kept after registration;

(iv) why was it that such cell phone numbers were not included in the 2019 General Election voter’s roll as part of information collected at registration in line with the Electoral Act;

(v) which legislative framework was used to inform the decision to collect such information in the first place;

(vi) how was the Minister ensuring that such information did not end up on the hands of the Ruling Party at the disadvantage of the other Political Parties;

(vii) whether he is considering amending the Electoral Act so that collection of such information is incorporated in the Act such that information is shared to other Parties through the voter’s roll.

(Mr. D. Tshere, MP. – Mahalapye West)

NOTICE OF QUESTIONS

(FOR ORAL ANSWER ON WEDNESDAY 24TH MARCH, 2021)

1. MR. M. M. PULE, MP. ( EAST): To ask the Minister of Transport (395) and Communications if he is aware that there are several bridges/culverts along main roads which need reconstruction such as those along the / road near Three Kopi and the culvert between / road; and if so, what plans are in place to reconstruct them as they are a threat to road users.

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2. MR. J. L. THIITE, MP. (GHANZI NORTH): To ask the Minister of Mineral (396) Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security how many mining companies have been issued mining licences in the Central Kgalagadi Game Reserve (CKGR).

3. MR. A. LESASO, MP. (SHOSHONG): To ask the Minister of Land (397) Management, Water and Sanitation Services:

(i) to explain the available land servicing standards and the criteria used to determine different levels of land servicing; and

(ii) why Mmopane and Metsimotlhabe land servicing standards were not applied at Shoshong.

4. MR. M. REATILE, MP. (JWANENG-MABUTSANE): To ask the Minister of (398) Health and Wellness to state:

(i) whether the increase in Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) officers during COVID-19 has been effective;

(ii) how many SHE officers have been hired; and

(iii) if these posts will be dissolved post COVID-19.

5. MR. T. LETSHOLO, MP. (KANYE NORTH): To ask the Minister of Finance (399) and Economic Development if he is aware of a Court judgment relating to the standardisation for school Bursars; and further:

(i) what was the judgment;

(ii) has it been implemented; if not, why not; and

(iii) when will the said judgment be implemented.

6. MS. T. MONNAKGOTLA, MP. (KGALAGADI NORTH): To ask the Minister (400) of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services if he would consider constructing a water desalination plant at Hunhukwe, which also feeds Monong and Ncaang villages.

7. MR. O. RAMOGAPI, MP. (PALAPYE): To ask the Minister of Mineral (401) Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security to explain the operations of Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) in relation to:

(i) why retrenchments were made with a view to downsize the number but later the corporation employed more staff from about 2032 to 2187 thus creating more costs;

(ii) why BPC is departing from the MASA strategy 2020 which stated that outsourcing can be done on three (3) services only, that is cleaning, security, and fleet services;

2 (iii) if the Minister is aware that outsourcing is done on the same jobs that can be done by employees, eg. Inspecting of meter readings, creating more costs that lead to unnecessary loss due to duplicating of resources/expenditure; if so,

(iv) what is he doing to remedy the situation, providing timelines;

(v) whether he sees it fit to be business as usual when the BPC spent a lot of money in MASA 2020 strategy and failed to implement its findings and duplicated the corporation’s resources by outsourcing the jobs that could be done by the staff; and

(vi) why BPC employees cannot have salary increment, looking at the fact that BPC keeps increasing tariffs.

8. MR. P. MAJAGA, MP. (NATA-GWETA): To ask the Minister of Local (402) Government and Rural Development if they frequently consult the Social Welfare Officers in rural areas regarding defiled children’s cases to help investigating officers to have a database of the wrong doers.

9. MR. S. J. BROOKS, MP. (KGALAGADI SOUTH): To ask the Minister of (403) Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism if she is aware that people were removed from the Kgalagadi Transfronter Park area to give way for the establishment of the Park; and if so:

(i) were they compensated;

(ii) how were they compensated (in kind or cash); and

(iii) where they have been relocated to.

10. MR. M. G. J. MOTSAMAI, MP. (GHANZI SOUTH): To ask the Minister of (404) Health and Wellness:

(i) if he is aware that costs for laboratory tests are high in private hospitals and may contribute to poor access to health by many Batswana;

(ii) whether these tariffs are regulated or not; and

(iii) when he would consider regulating them as they are working against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

3 11. MR. L. LESEDI, MP. (SEROWE SOUTH): To ask the Minister of Youth (405) Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development to update this Honourable House on:

(i) the criteria used to appoint the Botswana National Youth Council (BNYC) Board members, the names and number of those appointed so far;

(ii) whether there is a code of conduct governing the Board and what it says about conflict of interest;

(iii) if action has ever been taken against any Board member found to be implicated in conflict of interest;

(iv) the budget for BNYC in the Financial Year 2020/2021 and how much was spent on Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in rural areas vis-a-vis what was spent on NGOs in ; and

(v) the names and number of NGOs which were funded in the Financial Year 2020/2021 and the names and number of BNYC Board members who lead the NGOs that benefited.

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