DAILY

YOUR VOICE IN PARLIAMENT

THE SECONDSECOND MEETING MEETING OF THEOF SECONDTHE FIFTH SESSION SESSION OF THEOF THEELEVEN TWELFTHTH PARLIAMENT PARLIAMENT TUESDAY 16 MARCH 2021

MIXEDENGLISH VERSION VERSION HANSARDHANSARD NO. 193201

DISCLAIMER Uno cial Hansard This transcript of Parliamentary proceedings is an uno cial version of the Hansard and may contain inaccuracies. It is hereby published for general purposes only. The nal edited version of the Hansard will be published when available and can be obtained from the Assistant Clerk (Editorial). THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER The Hon. Phandu T. C. Skelemani PH, MP. DEPUTY SPEAKER The Hon. Mabuse M. Pule, MP. (Mochudi East)

Clerk of the National Assembly - Ms B. N. Dithapo Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly - Mr L. T. Gaolaolwe Learned Parliamentary Counsel - Ms M. Mokgosi Assistant Clerk (E) - Mr R. Josiah CABINET His Excellency Dr M. E. K. Masisi, MP. - President

His Honour S. Tsogwane, MP. (Boteti West) - Vice President Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Hon. K. N. S. Morwaeng, MP. (Molepolole South) - Administration

Hon. K. T. Mmusi, MP. (Gabane-Mmankgodi) - Minister of Defence, Justice and Security

Hon. Dr L. Kwape, MP. (Kanye South) - Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation Hon. E. M. Molale, MP. (Goodhope-Mabule ) - Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Hon. K. S. Gare, MP. (Moshupa-Manyana) - Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation Hon. P. K. Kereng, MP. (Specially Elected) - and Tourism Hon. Dr E. G. Dikoloti MP. (Mmathethe-Molapowabojang) - Minister of Health and Wellness Hon. T.M. Segokgo, MP. (Tlokweng) - Minister of Transport and Communications Hon. K. Mzwinila, MP. (Specially Elected) - Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Hon. T. M. Rakgare, MP. (Mogoditshane) - Development

Hon. A. M. Mokgethi, MP. (Gaborone Bonnington North) - Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs Hon. Dr T. Matsheka, MP. (Lobatse) - Minister of Finance and Economic Development Hon. F. M. M. Molao, MP. (Shashe West) - Minister of Basic Education Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Hon. Dr D. Letsholathebe, MP. (Tati East) - Technology Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Hon. L. M. Moagi, MP. (Ramotswa) - Energy Security

Hon. P. O. Serame, MP. (Specially Elected) - Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Minister of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Hon. M. Balopi, MP. (Gaborone North) - Development

Hon. M. Kgafela, MP. (Mochudi West) - Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development

Assistant Minister, Presidential Affairs, Governance and Hon. D. M. Mthimkhulu, MP. (Gaborone South) - Public Administration Assistant Minister, Local Government and Rural Hon. K. K. Autlwetse, MP. (Specially Elected) - Development Assistant Minister, Local Government and Rural Hon. S. N. Modukanele, MP. (Lerala -Maunatlala) - Development Assistant Minister, Agricultural Development and Food Hon. B. Manake, MP. (Specially Elected) - Security

Hon. S. Lelatisitswe, MP. (Boteti East) - Assistant Minister, Health and Wellness

Hon. N. W. T. Makwinja, MP. (Lentsweletau-Mmopane) - Assistant Minister, Basic Education

Hon. M. S. Molebatsi, MP. (Mmadinare) - Assistant Minister, Investment, Trade and Industry Assistant Minister, Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Hon. H. B. Billy, MP. (Francistown East) - Development Hon. M. R. Shamukuni, MP. (Chobe) - Assistant Minister,Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT AND THEIR CONSTITUENCIES

Names Constituency

RULING PARTY (Botswana Democratic Party) Hon. L. Kablay, MP. (Government Whip) Letlhakeng-Lephephe Hon. Dr U. Dow, MP. Specially Elected Hon. P. Majaga, MP. Nata-Gweta Hon. M. I. Moswaane, MP. Francistown West Hon. J. S. Brooks, MP. Kgalagadi South Hon. C. Greeff, MP. Gaborone Bonnington South Hon. T. Letsholo, MP. Kanye North Hon. T. F. Leuwe, MP. Takatokwane Hon. T. Mangwegape-Healy, MP. Gaborone Central Hon. S. N. Moabi, MP. Tati West Hon. T. Monnakgotla, MP. Kgalagadi North Hon. P. K. Motaosane, MP. Thamaga-Kumakwane Hon. O. Regoeng, MP. Molepolole North Hon. J. L. Thiite, MP. Ghanzi North Hon. A. Lesaso, MP. Shoshong Hon. P. P. P. Moatlhodi, MP. Tonota OPPOSITION (Umbrella for Democratic Change) Hon. D. Saleshando, MP. (Leader of Opposition) Maun West Hon. M. G. J. Motsamai, MP. (Opposition Whip) Ghanzi South Hon. D. L. Keorapetse, MP. Selebi Phikwe West Hon. Y. Boko, MP Mahalapye East Hon. Dr K. Gobotswang, MP. Sefhare-Ramokgonami Hon. C. K. Hikuama, MP. Ngami Hon. K. K. Kapinga, MP Okavango Hon. G. Kekgonegile, MP. Maun East Hon. T. B. Lucas, MP. Bobonong Hon. K. Nkawana, MP. Selebi Phikwe East Hon. O. Ramogapi, MP. Palapye Hon. Dr N. Tshabang, MP. Nkange Hon. D. Tshere, MP. Mahalapye West (Botswana Patriotic Front) Hon. T. S. Khama, MP. Serowe West Hon. L. Lesedi, MP. Serowe South Hon. B. Mathoothe, MP. Serowe North Hon. M. R. Reatile, MP. Jwaneng-Mabutsane (Alliance for Progressives) Hon. W. B. Mmolotsi, MP. Francistown South TABLE OF CONTENTS THE SECOND MEETING OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE TWELFTH PARLIAMENT TUESDAY 16TH MARCH, 2021

CONTENTS PAGE (S) APPROPRIATION (2021/2022) BILL, 2021 (NO. 2 OF 2021) Committee of Supply

Organisation 2700 - Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology (Resumed Debate)...... 1-8

Organisation 1000- Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security...... 9-20 (Resumed Debate)...... 29-37

Organisation 2000 - Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism...... 38-57

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER...... 21-27

QUESTION WITHOUT NOTICE...... 28 Tuesday 16th March, 2021 ORGANISATION 2700 - MINISTRY OF TERTIARY EDUCATION, RESEARCH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : Committee of Supply (Resumed Debate)

Tuesday 16th March, 2021 The other important thing that you mentioned Honourable Minister, is that the Ministry of Investment, THE ASSEMBLY met at 11:00 a.m. Trade and Industry (MITI) is ready to help us. Our (THE SPEAKER in the Chair) researchers and innovators are scientists mostly, who are used to working in the laboratories (labs), most of P R A Y E R S the time they have a challenge that most of the things they do in those labs, do not benefit them; but involving * * * * your ministry will definitely help us. Time and again MR SPEAKER (MR SKELEMANI): Order! Order! I hold conversations with researchers and innovators Good morning Honourable Members, we start our across the country, regardless of whether they come business with Committee of Supply. from the Ministry of Tertiary or wherever. As long as it is a researcher and innovator, I always have webinar ASSEMBLY IN COMMITTEE meetings with them, and we dialogue. The other thing (CHAIRPERSON in the Chair) they said, which they lamented about, is in relation to issues that we do come up with prototypes, but the APPROPRIATION (2021/2022) BILL, challenge is that we just keep them there. We do not 2021 (NO. 2 OF 2021) know where to take them from there.

ORGANISATION 2700 - MINISTRY OF We should appreciate that now the Citizen TERTIARY EDUCATION, RESEARCH, Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) has SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY just said it is ready to help them. I think those who are listening have heard this, and in our next meeting we (Resumed Debate) are going to tell them about this issue so that they could MR CHAIRPERSON (MR SKELEMANI): As we pull themselves together going forward. This will make have indicated Honourable Members, this organisation Batswana interested in the issue of innovation. The issue is left with 30 minutes. Therefore, I am going to call of inventing something and then it does not serve you upon the Honourable Minister of Tertiary Education, any purpose, is just a waste. I believe this is something Research, Science and Technology to respond to the we are very grateful for. debate. The Training Levy; yes, indeed we are reviewing our MINISTER OF TERTIARY EDUCATION, Training Levy so that we can determine how it can serve RESEARCH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY us better during these times. This is something I even (DR LETSHOLATHEBE): Thank you very much Mr mentioned in my speech that we are reviewing it, the Chairperson. I really appreciate the opportunity. review is ongoing. It is something we are going to look into and see how we can improve. Let me first start by thanking my colleagues who have contributed to our Ministry’s Committee of Supply, and Honourable Regoeng; Molepolole Institute of Health those who did not have time to contribute. I know that Sciences (IHS), indeed what you are saying is true. some of you wished they could have had a chance to I went there last year and I heard about those issues. speak, but were not able to due to time constraints. Maybe without shifting the blame, the IHS just came to my ministry last year. We are still looking at the Mr Chairperson, let me start by addressing the first best way to improve the service there at the HIS. We comment. I will try to address them one by one, and if are even just about to finish with the structure that I realise time is not on my side, I will summarise them. represents IHS at our ministry. Let me assure you that HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)… we are going to work on that, and see how we could improve the courses. DR LETSHOLATHEBE: Honourable Serame, I will start with you. Let me thank you for recognising and Actually we need to get value for our money. A situation appreciating that our ministry is doing something, whereby we build many classrooms and halls, yet thank you for that. You also talked about the issue of having them not being utilised, is what is causing less collaboration, as something that could help us going progress. I believe the 37 per cent which was mentioned forward if we could work together. by the Honourable Minister of Finance, includes such

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things, the we build structures from there they are not children for one semester, they came to the Government utilised. I promise you that we are going to look at that, and said they request their child to be “picked up” and and see how we could help such people. sponsored further. It was agreed that that would no longer apply. On my side, we are still following that The one thing which I appreciated, what you said about instruction. I am someone who likes adhering to the nurses and people who are promoting IHS generally, is regulations. If I am told there is no pick up, then there is talking about the issue I always talk about; exporting no pick up. This is exactly what we are doing. our labour. Indeed, if we could train more, we can still send some people outside to go and work, bringing back I have heard cases where some people…(Inaudible)… the foreign exchange we need from there; the Pounds actually a person remaining with one semester, but a and Euros. By so doing, we are going to work on that, regulation is a regulation because if you can bend it once, discuss with our institutions, universities that offer others are also going to go after you saying, “you did so degrees in nursing, and see whether they cannot double and so a favour because you know them.” Therefore, we up the rate at which they are producing their students so are still looking at the pick-up exercise, if we need to that we can curb the shortage of lecturers. Honourable change, you give us money for that. Currently we do not Member of Parliament, we shall dialogue further about have a budget to take students and assist them. I really this, and I will keep you posted on how far we are. We understand that many parents are struggling, some really have to do that. sponsored their children’s education but COVID-19 has affected companies. There is really nothing I can do Education and Training Providers (ETPs) rankings; for now. I take it that maybe we will assess it, we will indeed, they cannot just be grouped, they have to be continue to ask for funds while assessing it. Maybe we classified. Now we are at this point of classifying our should amend laws and see how we can address it. It is education and training, it is something which Botswana something that we are keeping an eye on. Qualifications Authority (BQA) is working on. It is working on the findings, even on what a university is. Non-compliant institutions Mr Chairperson; we are We know that people will just say this is a university. using Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA) to We also have to agree that when you say an institution have institutions that are qualified to offer education is a university, you mean an institution with people to our children, more especially students who we who are learned to a certain level. How many students sponsor through the Department of Tertiary Education does it enrol, which software does it use? These days Financing (DTEF). The first thing that we look at or we are no longer impressed by just buildings, we use the first password before we can sponsor a child is to technology to teach students. All those things. Those ensure that that institution is accredited by BQA. By who work there are they involving the other education saying that, that is one-way of ensuring that we do not training providers so that we would not have a problem sponsor children to go and obtain shabby education of whoever is taking over going on top of a building and from irresponsible or unaccredited institutions. saying I am also establishing a university. We have to confirm that if it is a university, it will bring the results Honourable Member, you also talked about requirement we desire. This is what we are working on. of sponsorship accredited by BQA; that is what I was just saying right now, we bank on BQA, it is the institute Self-sponsored students; you questioned why we are not that assists us to ensure that out children are admitted at considering assisting parents who helped their children the right institutions. to a certain extent, helping them to go a bit further. There is also something which I believe and will also say that One other thing that we are doing Mr Chairperson parents have to assist the Government when it comes which the Member of Parliament talked about is the to paying for their children. I thank the parents who are issue that there might be maladministration at DTEF doing that. What you are talking about is what we refer because the Government is losing a lot of money. to as “pick up”, there was a challenge in the previous Yes, we understand. This Parliament has warned me Parliament and a piece of legislation was brought. It several times and told me that I must do something appears most of the people who can afford to pay, whose about the issue of DTEF. We have done something. children did not manage to get the cut off points for We have implemented digitalisation to reduce human Government to sponsor them and take them to school; interference when it comes to DTEF processes. One it could be in Botswana or outside, after paying for their thing that we are doing now, which is expected… is

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starting in two months or so. We are going to digitalise, things that do not directly affect research. I believe that a child is going to apply from where he or she will be. it is something that we are working on and indeed this We have sat down and organised all processes that we Parliament will help us to ensure that we group research are going to use. Children will now get into the system. issues into one institute. If they are grouped into one When he or she enters his or her Identity Document place, we will be able to see that the little budget that (ID) number, it will go all the way to insert the age and we use on research can assist research going forward. everything. This is a system that we introduced in order Research is very expensive. to ensure that children do not struggle and deplete data while using their cell phones and laptops. What we do The biggest challenge that we have is that the private is that we are going to digitalise. Children are going to sector, you know it is quite obvious that they want to apply using that process and it will ensure that there are make profit most of the time. This always results in us no issues whereby people would say so and so did me lagging behind when it comes to research. They are a favour or he or she did not do me a favour. This will always slow to take part. That is why we stood up and set my beloveds officers at DTEF free because they are asked for funding from other funds and other things as often surrounded by allegations that they are not doing I told you in my presentation that we should ensure that things properly. we secure funds. That can improve the issue of research.

I believe that this will also assist when it comes to issues We are trying to improve. We should see what we whereby students strike time and again. Many of these can do to improve the number of students who go for students strike because allowances are not credited on Masters and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Indeed, we do time, because processes are manual, registers are taken not sponsor Masters and PhD for now, but what we are from elsewhere in the form of boxes and this sometimes doing is that we are looking for other strategies in which results in instances whereby files get lost and so forth. we can afford to sponsor people who are pursuing PhD Therefore, this digitalising, when a student registers at and Masters. his or her respective university, automatically it will One other issue that I often talk about is the one appear at DTEF that the student is fully registered concerning Top Achievers. It is time to ask ourselves if therefore pay his or her allowance and this will make we still really need to sponsor Top Achievers from after our job easy. Form 5 or should we move them after first Degree. If Let me also point out that this system will help us even on we can move Top Achievers to first Degree, it will mean issues of people who have outstanding balances or who that the top performing student who was pursuing his have not paid. Some of you here who have not cleared or her Chemistry with a GPA of 2:1 or First Class, we their loans, and others who are listening, we are going to must sponsor up to Masters and PhD. That is the only follow up using that. We are updating our manual data way we can improve the number of researches that we into the Student Loan Management System (SLMS), so are producing. Not doing research like we always do that DTEF can know where someone is, if they have not nowadays, having 32 publications. No, we need cutting- paid and how much they owe so that we can follow up edge research. We have to conduct a research that can and then try to reduce our current monetary challenges. change people’s lives. We should conduct a research Dr Honourable Tshabang; indeed research is lagging that someone who is back home in Themashanga would behind. You will agree with me Honourable Dr that know that research has made things easy for him or this research issue does not come cheap and as it does her, knowing that he or she has been using a straining not come cheap, that is why we are sometimes lagging method of ploughing but research produced something behind as compared to other countries. I think we spend that he or she can use to cultivate better. I believe that it even less than 0.5 per cent of our Gross Domestic is something that we are going to work on. Product (GDP) on research and you can even ask yourself if it really does go to research because it is Tracer studies; indeed we have advised our institutions found in different departments. Some departments will to do that. It is the only thing that they can do to review then use the budget to…with due respect saying that it their curriculum. The only way to review our curriculum is budgeted for research, and the budget will end up not is to know how market responds to your students, being used on research, they end up doing variation, and whether your students are employable or not. I believe the budget will be used on other things; to buy tables or that it is something that we are working on.

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Public and Private Education and Training Providers Indeed Honourable Segokgo, institutions should (ETPs); funds which are allocated to institutions generate money through research. It is similar to, what like that. Let me clarify that public institutions like comes first between an egg and chicken. Sometimes to University of Botswana and Botswana International make money from research, you have to put somewhere University of Science and Technology (BIUST) are money on research, so that others can appreciate how given subvention; funds which they are given at the research can be done in Botswana. So, we will try to beginning of the financial year. Private institutions attract them and even the private sector, though it is hard survive on the money which they get from school fees. to attract them, but we will try all our means to have So, public institutions are given subvention and school them on board. fees. There is a difference; private ETPs school fees, I want to agree with you Honourable Member it is very Materials science is part of all … it is one of its high. Their school fees are very high as compared to biggest important components of it. Fourth Industrial school fees for public institutions. We are working on Revolutions (4IR) has to do with playing around with your materials which are available and making anything reviewing how we are funding this public educational you want to do that can work for you. You can be able to training providers. We are reviewing that maybe it is change strength of the material, or whatever you want to time to execute a system whereby people come, go out change. That is something that indeed we are pushing. and look for students, so that they can be able to pay At Botswana Institute for Technology Research and school fees as per the market price, without giving them Innovation (BITRI) we have a division dealing with subventions. It is one of the things that are on the table, materials science. Indeed we can work with the relevant we are reviewing Honourable Member. I believe that if ministry that was suggested we work with going we can be able to finish it, we will see the direction. This forward. can come in handy and maybe the issue of differences in school fees will change. Honourable Molale, it is very true that research generates money if it is done well; this is true. If research is done The Honourable Member also mentioned something well, it can generate immense wealth. That is why I about a building in Central Business District (CBD. always advocate that one of the ways we can improve Indeed, it was like that. There is a building that we our economy is when we spend money on research. were supposed to move to as the Ministry of Tertiary Therefore, that is something that we can benefit from. Education, Research, Science and Technology but we did not move there. When we were supposed to go there, You talked about a lot of projects we can do in our country so that we can develop. The fertilisers, bitumen, we heard that there are some agreements which cannot it is doable, instead of just taking everything as one benefit the Government. We realised that the Government size fits all. We should not be using something which is going to end up being exploited financially because was produced for cold countries because it will not we would have signed a long contract. After you tabled work for us. For example, if you take bitumen that was this question last year if you remember in Parliament, made to work in temperatures that range from five to 15 we talked about it and we went to find out about that. Degrees Celsius and use it to construct Patayamatebele We stopped that because the agreement was not what we road where the temperature ranges from 35-40 Degrees anticipated. I am not shying away from this. We made a Celsius, tomorrow it will be damaged and it appears as mistake of getting into that kind of an agreement and we if our roads are not of good quality. accept the mistake and we will make sure that we do not make the same mistake in future. Indeed research has done well, we have worked on what works for us best. We can use material we see can work The issue that ETPs are hiring foreigners; indeed it is better for us. Let me appreciate you, you came up with something that we do not have much control over as very important suggestions and we are going to do that. Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology. We sponsor students. All that we want is a lecturer who Like I said, we have meetings frequently with researchers has qualifications which are accredited by BQA but and invigilators across the country and advise them beyond that, we do not have any other information. to patent. There are instances where you would have However, we will continue to work with the Ministry of discovered something and find someone else in India Skills and Labour and see how we can assist each other. saying, he discovered that. Therefore, we encourage

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them, but it is not taking time, they are going to use it as Francistown. The one that we want to build is where something else. If you find something to be important, we are taking part on the early stage of making that car. try to patent it so that no one can claim it. We should We have visited Harness, those who deal with body patent things such as sekhokho (traditional gin), thobega building, chassis, battery, and we found that there are so (traditional method of healing broken bones) and so on, many people who do a lot of things here. if you do not do that, other people are going to do it. At some point in time while travelling down Oxford Street Not only that Honourable Saleshando, we went up to in London, you will see a sign written, ‘Thobega Clinic’ Maun, we found that there are people who build boats and you are going to pay a lot of pounds for that. This which we have realised that one of the disadvantages is something we are encouraging our researchers to do. is that they are noisy and these people could do our electric car; we can use that same motor to run the boat, Dr Gobotswang; very valuable points, I really appreciate and they will run smoothly down the rivers in Maun. Honourable. Yes we promised to create jobs from This can help in curbing the noise of these boats. We are research, and we are going to do that. That is exactly talking at an advanced stage with people who build our why when it comes to the electric car, we have not boats. They are exporting those boats, and I believe we folded our arms to say the electric car is not part of us are also going to get involved at that part. This is how but Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI). we are going to work with anybody who is available. We went in and realised that there is an opportunity there that our researchers and innovators can take up We did research across other ministries, like I advantage for the value chain. We are in that process. mentioned that we are going to even improve on how Honourable Serame, you said I should expand more on we are working with other ministries. We have already the electric car, maybe it is now time to talk about it. We started, as we are attending sessions with Batswana are going to make sure that all of us who want to take discussing with others, we realise we could have others part, do so. Some can do this, others that; this is what like the Geological institute and their elements. We will create jobs for us. We are in the process. Right now have contributed where we can. When you get to… we were in consultations with many companies which (inaudible)… the sekhokho that I mentioned, they are build electric cars. The problem with most of them is the ones responsible. We are working with others so that that they wanted to dump parts here and we assemble we can move forward. them. We did not want that. We want that when we have The involvement of Technical Colleges; indeed, that is bought chassis for instance from them, if we find that we the other new way of doing things. Even our electric have a chassis company in Gaborone or Botswana, we car, what we did, we asked for a curriculum that we can tell them that, next time do not deliver the chassis, use at Technical Colleges for students to learn and use we will find somebody, be it for battery, body building Technical Colleges courses to repair our cars. We do not or provision of cables like the ones in Gaborone. This is want to make an electric car which cannot be repaired if what we have already done. parts are falling off. We want Technical and Vocational MR MMOLOTSI: On a point of clarification. Thank Education and Training (TVET) graduates who are you Mr Speaker. Minister, still on the electric car, maybe ready to come and fix that car. I think… it could help us to understand the difference between MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Greeff wants the one in Mogoditshane and those that you are talking clarification. about. Is the Mogoditshane Project the one that we are pursuing or that one is a completely different one? DR LETSHOLATHEBE: Time is not on my side Honourable Chair, I will go back to him. DR LETSHOLATHEBE: Thank you. Like I said, there are many of us who want to do this, we are not Honourable Manake, indeed you said a lot, like the issue stopping anybody from doing that, whether once a day. of Human Resource Development Council (HRDC), Our interest like I said is to find those who can take part that are we still checking to find whether we are doing in the process of the building up of the components of relevant courses. HRDC time and again informs us, the car. I have heard about the one in Mogoditshane. looking at the market trend and we make a decision Unfortunately, I have not visited them but there could based on that. When sponsoring students, we make a be others who do that. Even you Honourable Mmolotsi, decision based on what they recommended for us. if you think you can start up, you can do that in

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Tracer studies and Labour Market Observatory (LMO) remember the words you used very well, but I think is also assisting in that regard to find out how many you said the purpose of education is to fight poverty and people we have in the market. unemployment. …(Inaudible)… that issue, many of us here come from poor families but education has really You said a lot about research, the good thing is that you helped us to get our new jobs to improve our lives. I were saying research on Ministry of Agriculture, which believe we are always reviewing our curriculum so that I really liked because it shows that we cannot work in we may move forward. You are a teacher, you know silos. We must work together. Most of the researches that curriculum is not static, it changes in time. we keep that you talked about on plants, this is the research we reviewing it to see where we can improve it so that we want. This is done by the Agric Research Centre. I wish can move forward as well as improve our curriculum. I knew different to that, but you will be surprised to With that, we are hoping that we are going to get the hear that Honourable Dr Letsholathebe went to Agric best as we go forward. We have also improved the Research Centre to engage researchers. Even you might way… we were launching me and Honourable Molao think something is wrong with me if I were to go there last time…(Inaudible)… Education Policy. To note that interfering in your mandate. Honourable Minister, education is managed accordingly, it does not mean that I can only encourage that we work together to help one has to go there, they are able to get a laptop and our researchers going forward. I must thank them for offer online teaching. In no time, a student will have a attending in great numbers and showing keen interest Degree in Physics through online teaching, so you will from agriculture. I believe we will discuss this further. wonder where they did their practicals. Honourable Brooks, yes we are going to come to Since I am running out of time, with your permission Kgalagadi. The issue of Indigenous Knowledge (IK). Mr Chairperson, I therefore move that the sum of Four I believe that is where we can excel coming to Billion, Six Hundred and Two Million, Six Hundred indigenous knowledge. When you decide to come up and Sixty-Two Thousand, One Hundred and Thirty Pula with innovation of a best laptop, you cannot easily beat (P4,602,662,130) for the Recurrent Budget, be approved Dell or HP but if we can come up with best research and stand part of the Schedule of the 2021/2022 and best innovation using our indigenous knowledge, Appropriation Bill (No. 1 of 2020) for Organisation nobody can beat us in that field. So I believe we are 2700; and that the sum of Two Hundred and Thirty-Three going to work on that Honourable. A certain member Million, Six Hundred and Ninety-Seven Thousand, Two is asking for clarification, just a minute Honourable Hundred and Twenty-Five Pula (P233,697,225) for Chairperson. Organisation 2700 in the Development Fund Estimates be approved and form part of those Estimates. I thank MR GREEFF: Clarification. Thank you Honourable you very much Mr Chairperson. Minister. Since we are talking about a knowledge based- economy, our technical colleges do not have qualified MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Members, we are lecturers. How are you going to improve that situation? going to vote. Check that you are always connected and Additionally, how are you going to rectify the condition that you can be seen on the screen. of our vocational training sir? HONOURABLE MEMBER: Mr Speaker, there is DR LETSHOLATHEBE: Thank you very much something wrong with my camera, that is Morwaeng. Honourable. We are looking at that. Sometimes we MR CHAIRPERSON: I will call your name, if you have a challenge in terms of coordinating Technical and can talk, that is okay. Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Last week, I was presenting a policy which is going to focus on TVET to the Cabinet. We are working on that to see how we can improve TVET and training of staff. I agree with you on the basis that there is a bit of shortage in that area but we are going to work on that.

Quickly going to Honourable Hikuama, education reviews conducted to ensure curriculum, yes we are saying education is very important. I cannot

6 Hansard No 201 Tuesday 16th March, 2021 ORGANISATION 2700 - MINISTRY OF TERTIARY EDUCATION, RESEARCH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : Committee of Supply (Resumed Debate)

CLERK:

MEMBER’S NAME AYE NO ABSTAIN ABSENT His Excellency Dr Masisi Honourable Autlwetse √ Honourable Balopi √ Honourable Boko Honourable Brooks √ Honourable Billy √ Honourable Dr Dikoloti √ Honourable Dr Dow √ Honourable Gare √ Honourable Dr Gobotswang √ Honourable Greeff √ Honourable Hikuama √ Honourable Kablay √ Honourable Kapinga Honourable Kekgonegile Honourable Keorapetse √ Honourable Kereng Honourable Kgafela √ Honourable Khama Honourable Dr Kwape √ Honourable Lesedi √ Honourable Lelatisitswe Honourable Lesaso √ Honourable Dr Letsholathebe √ Honourable Letsholo Honourable Leuwe √ Honourable Lucas √ Honourable Majaga √ Honourable Makwinja √ Honourable Manake √ Honourable Mangwegape-Healy √

MEMBER’S NAME AYE NO ABSTAIN ABSENT Honourable Mathoothe √ Honourable Dr Matsheka √ Honourable Mmolotsi √ Honourable Mmusi √ Honourable Moabi √ Honourable Moagi √

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Honourable Moatlhodi √ Honourable Modukanele √ Honourable Mokgethi √ Honourable Molale √ Honourable Molao √ Honourable Molebatsi √ Honourable Monnakgotla √ Honourable Morwaeng √ Honourable Moswaane √ Honourable Motaosane √ Honourable Motsamai √ Honourable Mthimkhulu √ Honourable Mzwinila √ Honourable Nkawana √ Honourable Pule √ Honourable Rakgare √ Honourable Ramogapi √ Honourable Reatile √ Honourable Regoeng √ Honourable Saleshando √ Honourable Segokgo √ Honourable Serame √ Honourable Shamukuni √ Honourable Thiite √ Honourable Dr Tshabang √ Honourable Tshere √ His Honour the Vice President √ Honourable Tsogwane

HONOURABLE MEMBER: Boko is not working here.

HONOURABLE MEMBER: Healy, you also did not respond, you have no interest in the tertiary sector.

HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Laughter!)… I said aye.

HONOURABLE MEMBER: We did not hear it.

…Silence…

MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Members the results of your voting, the Ayes 52, the Noes nothing, absent 12. The Ayes have it.

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Question put and agreed to. (i) Botho Park at the Botho University Campus,

ORGANISATION 1000- MINISTRY (ii) Feune being Airport Junction Mall, OF MINERAL RESOURCES, GREEN TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY (iii) Bank of Botswana, SECURITY (iv) Okavango Diamond Trading Company,

MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Members, note (v) Primetime Proper Holdings at Sebele Mall, that 2 hours 25 minutes have been allocated to this Head, and I shall call upon the Honourable Minister to (vi) Thobo Energy at Francistown reply to the debate at 17:50 hours and the question will be put at 15… I think we need to adjust these hours. (vii) Diamond Trading Company Botswana (DTCB). It cannot be tomorrow, it has to be today, 2 hours 25 (viii) Tlou Energy was also issued with an IPP license minutes allocated. I therefore, call upon the Honourable for local power generation under the Government’s Minister Lefoko Moagi to present his budget. Coal Bed Methane (CBM) power generation MINISTER OF MINERAL RESOURCES, GREEN programme. In addition to driving towards our TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY SECURITY (MR goal for self-sufficiency in local power generation MOAGI): Let me thank the Honourable Chairperson through increased participation of Independent of this Committee of Supply. Let me greet all the Power Producers (IPPs), the Authority continues to Honourable Members in this House and also greet facilitate private investment in power generation. Ramotswa residents and Batswana at large. Before I get To date, the Authority has issued licences to two to the presentation, let me extend my sincere apologies (2) IPPs (Sese Power and ENRC) for power to the committee because we were scheduled to meet but export. I had another engagement at Cabinet. Let me indicate Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA) that I was not ignoring their invitation, I believe the continues to monitor compliance by the industry to the officers relayed the message. I made a report, I have it regulatory requirements, whereby 140 filling stations here and it is loaded so I will have to pick a few so that were inspected and 59 were found to be compliant. I can meet the allocated time of 20 minutes. Before the establishment of BERA, compliance to Mr Chairperson, I am here today to present to this standards was mostly voluntary, however BERA made Honourable House, the Ministry of Mineral Resources, them mandatory. Most of the non-compliance was Green Technology and Energy Security’s budget for the around lack of adherence to environmental protection, 2021/2022 financial year, as well as, give an account lack of leak monitoring wells, oil separators at retail of the One billion, Seven Hundred and Sixty-Two sites and lack of understanding of safety precautions by Million, Two Hundred and Eighty-Two Thousand, Nine petrol attendants. In a quest to enhance compliance and Hundred and Ninety-Six Pula (P1,762,282,996) that was competitiveness in this industry, a star rating programme allocated to my ministry to use for both the Recurrent for the petroleum service stations has been initiated. and Development Budgets in the current financial year Mr Chairperson, effective management of fuel prices 2020/2021. Before I do that, I would like also give an and margins are a critical factor for the sustainability overview of the progress of policy and legislative issues of the petroleum subsector. My ministry through BERA of the two sectors of Energy and Minerals under my continues to review the petroleum prices on a monthly custody, so that colleagues can make informed decisions basis to ensure that prices are fair, competitive and on my request. affordable, whilst petroleum margins are reviewed on POLICY INITIATIVES AND REVIEWS an annual basis in order to provide a fair return for the financial sustainability of the industry. Energy Sector In the process of migrating to cost reflective electricity Mr Chairperson, we are looking at Botswana Energy tariffs, my ministry has, through BERA, reviewed the Regulatory Authority (BERA) having licenced the Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) electricity tariffs following Solar Photovoltaic Plants producing over for the Financial Year 2020/2021 and a 22 per cent tariff 100kVA; increase was awarded to BPC. Despite this increase,

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electricity tariffs are still not cost reflective hence The Diamond Cutting and Semiprecious Stones will be necessitating review on an annual basis. re-gazetted for tabling in the July 2021 Parliamentary Session. On the energy side as well, the Energy Policy was tabled before this House in September 2020 for First Reading. The Mines and Minerals Act Amendment Bill is at We remain hopeful that the current sitting of Parliament drafting stage and the Bill is being finalised for Cabinet will approve that Energy Policy. Further, the Petroleum approval, also to be presented at the July Session of Bill as well has been suspended pending finalisation of Parliament. the Petroleum regulations and we hope to progress this Bill in this sitting as well. MINING UPDATE AND EMPLOYMENT CREATION We have started implementation of the Rooftop Solar programme into the grid. The programme guidelines Mr Chairperson, obviously 2020 was a devastating year were developed for end users who can generate their but have started to the signs of recovery; copper prices own electricity and sell excess to BPC. The development increased from US$2.57/lb in 2019 to US$3.52 (37 includes applicable rules, regulations, standards, tariffs per cent) increase by the end of 2020 so is gold from as well as a review of the implementation processes being US$1270 to US$1524 (20 per cent) increase. the metering, interconnection, vending and billing. This We have started seeing an encouragement from investors Programme will run for three years, with a system-wide granting Maatla Energy Resources a mining licence aggregate capacity of 10MW in the first 12 months. We for the development of a coal mine in Mmamabula started by opening up to commercial, industrial and domestic BPC customers on the 30th November 2020 coalfields. We are also seeing other companies investing and so far 60 applications have been received between in the increase of the life of Mine like Karowe diamond 1st of December 2020 and 15th February 2021 consisting underground Mine, Morupule coal open cast extension of 50 domestic and 10 business applications. The and Jwaneng Mine post Cut 9 studies focused on evaluation of the submissions is ongoing. underground mining. There is also a positive consumer demand for diamond jewellery since the beginning of An Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity Generation the holiday season. This will help our diamond sales (IRP) was developed and approved to establish a going forward especially in markets around Europe and robust electricity generation build Programme from Asia. 2020 until 2040. This was done over twenty-four In terms of the Debswana Diamond Company 17.1 months collaboration period with the International million carats were sold in 2020. Now the sales have Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The implementation gone up and we are encouraged that this is a positive is envisaged to add approximately 1,540MW of new trend coming out of the diamond industry, same as generation capacity by 2040. Lucara Diamond Company.

Mineral Sector Orapa Mine Cut 3 Project is at feasibility stage and The Minerals Policy was also put before Parliament in preparatory works are to start in 2023. Employment September 2020, First Reading, and we remain hopeful across the mines is very encouraging with over 98 to it will come through this sitting as well. 99 per cent being locals around the various mines. This also goes for the Morupule Coal mine which is also To modernise and to align to mineral legislation and to undergoing expansion. align it to policy aspirations, we are reviewing further three pieces of legislation being: Minergy Coal project in the Kweneng District at Medie has also started production and the production (i) Mines and Minerals Act Amendment Bill; is ramping up. We have also commissioned the coal processing plant. So this will boost the coal. They are (ii) Diamond Cutting and Polishing Act Amendment also shortlisted for supply of coal to ESKOM for their Bill; electricity generation.

(iii) Precious and Semi-Precious Stones Protection Botswana Ash, same increase in production tonnages Amendment Bill. with very good 98.5 per cent citizen employment. They

10 Hansard No 201 Tuesday 16th March, 2021 ORGANISATION 1000- MINISTRY OF MINERAL RESOURCES, GREEN TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY SECURITY : Committee of Supply

are looking at producing further potash and fertiliser that result in power cuts in some part of the country. and they are hoping to complete their feasibility study The backlog includes replacing rotten poles, servitude in September 2021. maintenance and uprating of distribution infrastructure (transformers, overhead conductors and underground There is Mupane Gold Mine and Khoemacau currently cables). This work is ongoing and it will be completed also producing. The only mine that is on care and in 2021. It has been a three-phased approach. maintenance, except for Phikwe is Ghaghoo Mine. Mowana Mine is currently under judicial management. Biofuels

SECURITY OF POWER SUPPLY Research continues to be done through collaboration with other departments; Department of Agricultural Power Generation Research (DAR) and University of Botswana (UB). This is to produce a local biofuel in the industry. The Currently about 60 per cent of the national electricity potential feedstock are indigenous plants, as well as demand is met at Morupule A and B and the balance is other available feedstock like animal fat, cooking oil et imports. We are reducing very much power supply from cetera. The study will be completed in May 2022 and diesel generation as in Orapa and Matshelagabedi so as will have to go commercial with encouraging results. to manage the costs. SECURITY OF PETROLEUM SUPPLY Morupule B is currently undergoing comprehensive Petroleum Products defects remedial exercise and it is due to be completed in 2023. Unit 4 which was started first is at 94 per cent Botswana Oil Limited (BOL) continues to look for complete. alternative routes so that we can augment where we get our major source of petroleum products. Over 30 Green technology – This is an area potential to grow the million litres have been sourced through Namibia and economy and diversify it creating employment. They are Mozambique. In fact, it is 30 million and 14 million currently undergoing solar photovoltaic (PV) projects respectively. which should be completed in 2022. The awards are In terms of strategic storage, we are currently at 15 days about to be done. It already constitutes 17 per cent of and the key maintenance project for storage will be the total generation mix of the current 769 megawatts. increased to 90 days coverage after the completion of the Coal Bed Methane (CBM) also ongoing. The have Tshele Hills Storage and other storages in Francistown found the service of a Transaction Advisor who assists and Ghanzi. We encourage the private sector to do other in the negotiation of the Power Purchase Agreements. areas, for example; the Kazungula or the Maun route This will be completed in April 2021 which will lead through Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects. The to financial close and ultimately notice to proceed to Transaction Advisor is also at an advanced stage to assist construction. in this regard, so that this project can be expedited.

Electricity Transmission and Distribution Infrastructure May I know the time Mr Chairperson, so that I could – Recently completed the North West transmission line rush to the next issues? which will also assist the generation of power in the MR CHAIRPERSON: Five minutes. North West District also assisting the mines in those MR MOAGI: Five minutes, okay. I was going to talk areas. about diamond beneficiation; it is there on the report. Electricity Generation Issues around the Okavango Diamond Company and their sales processes, the automation, negotiations with Rural electrification is at 39 per cent. 44 villages, which Debswana agreements, where we are currently and were left have been connected, only seven are left out. billed to be concluded during 2021, largely affected by There is the 71 network extensions, which will be travel restrictions in 2020. completed by April 2021. BCL Liquidation Distribution Refurbishment and Reinforcement A preferred bidder has been identified and I will explain There is a programme to clear the maintenance backlog more when I respond to the debate from the Members accommodated over the years and network overloads but they are about to start their due diligence.

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I have a health status on the six of the State-Owned ruling party, because they said we were talking about Entities (SOEs) under my ministry. That is Botswana farfetched dreams that cannot be possible. Even during Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA), Botswana a time when there were power shortages, we tried to Power Corporation (BPC), Botswana Oil, Botswana come up with suggestions regarding solar energy, those Geoscience Institute, Mineral Development Company who came before you belonging to Domkrag opposed and Okavango Diamond Company. I believe since those. Maybe at times we should commend you when Honourable Members have access to the report, please you start embracing the suggestions that the opposition refer to the report so that I can then get to the Budget. brings, although the ideas always come late. A number of things have already passed us by. Mr Chairperson, as aforementioned, allow me to now account for the funds I was given. Obviously, 71 per Honourable Minister, I want you to take note of some cent has been spent and this is only due to some of the things. The number of buildings or businesses which funds not yet being drawn out by the Liquidator but they are using solar power seem to be increasing. Since will be drawn out over the period because they go out nowadays the Government does not build its own in trenches. Development Budget largely used at 97 per buildings, many Government ministries rent offices, so cent and it will be exhausted by the end of the financial your ministry should specify that if the owner would be year. Very good revenue collection surpassing what was using solar power, that is when you would be interested budgeted, which is an encouragement towards these in occupying their building. This would be a way of year’s estimates that we are looking at. encouraging the use of less electricity that is generated through the coal at Morupule. Development Budget Estimates The other issue I would like to talk about, being the Mr Chairperson, they are largely due to Botswana second point, in fact it is the main one Minister; I grew Power Corporation as they were the major one at 56 per up in the town of Selebi Phikwe, which was the home cent, then the Power Generation and Distribution at 19 for the BCL mine. I read a lot about one city in South per cent, the Ministry Development Budget at 13 per Africa called Kimberley. Kimberley was once famous cent, Green Technology being the fourth largest with 7 for its minerals, and as we speak the only legacy which per cent and finally 3 per cent for the Mineral Resources Kimberly has is a just a hole. There is nothing that is left Exploration Programme. in Kimberly, which can show that that there was once I now Mr Chairperson, wish to go down to my budget wealth being generated there. What the town of Selebi proposal where by now, the presentation of the Phikwe is left with are underground tunnels, which are 2021/2022 Recurrent/Development Budgets concludes bringing earth tremors for them. One would think in from these figures. I now request to move that the Selebi Phikwe and Kimberley, they could be having big sum of Three Hundred and Fifty-One Million, Seven companies which the new mines that are opening would Hundred and Sixty-Two Thousand, Five Hundred and rush to, to buy the equipment which they need. That is Forty Pula (P351,762,540) in the Consolidated Fund not the case. I suspect we are on a similar path of Selebi be approved and stand as part of the Schedule of the Phikwe, Kimberley and places such as Toteng in Maun Appropriation (2021/22) Bill 2021; and that the sum of, Constituency. We have an excavated mine in Maun as Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight Million, Nine Hundred you explained, but there is nothing at Toteng and Maun and Thirty Thousand, Nine Hundred and Seventy- in Ngami district that shows that there is a big mine that Nine Pula (P888, 930, 979. 00) in the Development is starting production there. We are just like Kimberly, Fund Estimates be approved and stand part of those one day we are only going to be left with a big pit. Estimates in accordance with the amendments made to There are so many things that are used by mines. the Estimate Book. Your ministry should just decide that it is going to see I thank you Mr Chairperson. where it is possible to force these companies to support businesses which are closer to where they operate. We MR SALESHANDO (MAUN WEST): I thank you know that consumables which are used in the mines are Mr Chairperson. Let me start with appreciating what going to be purchased from countries like South Africa the Minister responsible for energy has just said about and Australia. This thing should bother you Honourable solar energy. In the past, this issue brewed a conflict Minister, you should set a goal that you want everything between members of the opposition and those from the that is used by Toteng mine…there is another mine

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which is being constructed at Ghanzi, at which rate not vigilant and they do not see us as people who they would you like to see the resources that they use being can partner with when it comes to producing synthetic obtained locally or you just want to leave them with a diamonds. This must be a wake-up call, it should big pit like the ones in Kimberly? One depressing thing shake you. Your conscience should trouble you and you is that even small things that we believe should be should ask yourself why De Beers is turning against us purchased from those constituencies are not purchased now that there is production of synthetic diamonds even there, even if they are obtained locally. I will give you though we partnered with them from way back. This an example Honourable Minister; everyone knows that should bother you. the price of beef per kilogramme (kg) is very low in Ngami as compared to the southern part of the country. The last issue is about diamond cutting and polishing. None of the people who own butcheries in Maun are Polishing diamonds comes with a lot of job opportunities. able to get an opportunity to sell beef to Toteng mine Extracting diamonds from the ground requires the use to be consumed by workers there. Beef agreements of machines. We do extract diamonds in Botswana and have already been made; it is transported in trucks from we use machines. It is capital-intensive hence we do Gaborone to Toteng even though we have struggling not create a lot of job opportunities. We inject a lot of funds but we do not create many job opportunities. You farmers, who do not make good profits. As a Minister, have been advised about this from way back but you you should be concerned about what can be done to have been slow when it comes to the issue of jobs in the ensure that people of that constituency have something diamond industry. Cutting and polishing of diamonds which can benefit them at this point in time. creates a lot of job opportunities. That is where the Minister, I want the third issue to be about why there jobs are, but it is such a disgrace that after decades is still so much secrecy about the key points of the and decades of mining diamonds, we still polish three discussions between the Government and De Beers. In out of 10 diamonds locally and we send seven out of your response, you should explain what is hindering 10 diamonds to other countries which do not have Botswana from being a part of the Extractive Industries diamonds so that they can create job opportunities for Transparency Initiative (EITI). We are one of the young people in their countries. When you respond, countries which have a lot of minerals. Many countries you should admit that the fact that you have set an 80 are working on ensuring that they do things in the open. per cent target, which I believe should be something At this point in time, we should be having information that we are doing in Botswana, shows that Botswana about the main points of your discussions and what new Democratic Party (BDP) has failed. Sometimes you thing we should expect instead of situations whereby have to admit that you have failed, hence you should Parliament is told, ‘we are still cooking something, we come up with ideas because job opportunities for the will see you when we are done” Minister, we are not youth of Botswana are taken by other countries. Time kids. We are not in the 1960s and1970s whereby being has come for you to sit down after admitting that you in the Executive meant that you are the only ones who have failed, and give other people who have better ideas are intelligent. We should also take part as Parliament to to assist us as Botswana because there are a lot of job know what is being discussed so that we can also have a opportunities which are leaving this country. This does say or highlight our differences. not only apply to diamond production, but also to other minerals which are found in Botswana. It is quite embarrassing that at this point in time we are still saying that we want to discuss this issue with I believe that if at all we are saying that we want a experts in order to decide if Botswana should join in and knowledge based-economy, we should know that it produce synthetic diamonds. You will remember that means having technology as the driving force of the when I responded to the Budget Speech, I highlighted economy, and taking pride in the fact that you have that it is something that we should have hurried to do. productivity in different sectors. Minister, what is Our partners or De Beers already has big companies in stopping us from saying that Botswana is going to be the other countries where they do not have strategic interest. capital of the world where diamonds are cut and polished? They have long enjoyed our diamonds here and went Many job opportunities and diamonds should also come on to open big companies which produce synthetic from other countries, Botswana should not be the only diamonds in other countries. This shows that when they country that sends out diamonds and job opportunities to look at us, they see useless men and women who are other countries. We are going to talk to our friends at De

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Beers, if at all they are our genuine friends, we should Last time I said that South Africa also buys from the tell them that we want diamonds from other countries to source, it does not process oil but it has 58 oil pipes be cut and polished in Botswana because we are giving as well as Zambia and Zimbabwe who are landlocked them a Fourth Industrial Revolution. If at all we want a countries. As a country, we also need to think outside knowledge-based economy, these are the things that we the box on this particular issue. I do not think that one should be telling the nation about, but we are not doing storage is sustainable Honourable Minister. that. We are not talking about them because we know that Domkrag is intending to sit down in 2036 to draft Mr Chairperson, on paragraph 38, it is very interesting another vision and say that we will improve in 2050. We because the Honourable Minister discusses biofuels. He should not give up hope on that, we should set targets has put it at a small scale. I want to explain to him that that we can achieve at this point in time. Thank you Mr this can be done at a very big scale if there is a proper Chairperson. partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, where we can sit down and talk and use the Agro Zambezi ASSISTANT MINISTER OF AGRICULTURAL to produce ethanol fuel. Ethanol fuel is produced from DEVELOPMENT AND FOOD SECURITY (MS the sugar industry. In other countries such as Brazil, MANAKE): Good afternoon Mr Chairperson and all ethanol is produced from sugar cane. In America and the Honourable Members. other countries they use sugar beet, which we have Mr Chairperson, let me start acknowledging the Minister the capacity to produce in the North, at Chobe District for his comprehensive Committee of Supply in which through the Agro Zambezi. This ethanol like I said, in we learnt a lot about all the departments which are under other countries is green energy. There are vehicles which his ministry, which is very good because we appreciate started using it in countries such as Brazil, United States opportunities and his deficiencies so that we can assist of America and Europe. There is no need to come up him to improve his ministry. with a new model of vehicles, those vehicles are already there. It is either hybrid, where it is mixed with the fuel Mr Chairperson, let me point out that even though we that we are used to or raw ethanol. appreciate that Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA) and Botswana Oil are trying when it comes to So, I was saying, the green technology or green energy, fuel security, they should see beyond storage. I am going will only be possible if you work closely with the to talk about this issue until the Minister understands Ministry of Agriculture, which I believe remains the that as a country, we cannot say that a 15 days storage is core in diversifying the economy of this country. If we sustainable. We cannot bank on importation and say that can do that and focus on ethanol produced from sugar we will keep on importing 12 billion worth of fuel on an beet or resuscitate the Agro Zambezi, we are going to be annual basis. We really have to think outside the box Mr a game changer in the Southern African Development Chairperson to leverage our relationships with countries Community (SADC) region and the continent of Africa. like Namibia, and construct these fuel pipelines. It So, I am saying, let us look into this opportunity and see should come from the sea into Mamuno or in the Ghanzi how we can improve it in order to develop. District. We should have a fuel farm there, so that we can be able to have filling stations which are owned by Mr Chairperson, paragraphs 12 and 26 talk about the Botswana. I am sure that currently most of us do not mining industry. I appreciate that there is growth looking know what BP stands for, BP fuel stations; it stands for at the Karowe Mine or Lucara Botswana. It is attributed British Petroleum. Building your own pipeline gives to using the latest diamond technologies to mine. My you an opportunity to have your own indigenous filling question to the Minister is, when are we adopting the stations. new technologies to mine these huge stones which can make our country recover? Maybe we are not even in If we buy fuel from the source, having a place where deep trouble as was alluded by Honourable Saleshando. we process, not processing in the sense of refinement, We also want to be competitive and compete with the our fuel price will go down, production costs will also likes of Lucara in mining and so forth. go down in the country looking at manufacturing and production, as we have been setting a target that we want Talking about Debswana, even when I was listening to to be an export-led economy. We have to be competitive Honourable Saleshando, has opened an old wound Mr and fuel is one of those things that can assist us to be an Chairperson. In 1998, I was doing Form 1, and there was export-led economy. a company that was owned by Debswana, called Masedi

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Farms. Masedi Farms was in the Chobe District, in the MS MANAKE: I am concluding, you will comment Pandamatenga. They owned about 3400 hectares. For when Honourable Makwinja takes the floor since I am the first time in Botswana, 1000 hectares of cotton were talking about one of her points. produced in Pandamatenga by Debswana. You see that back in 1998, Debswana had a mandate and vision to Mr Chairperson, on paragraph 20, Honourable Minister diversify itself from the mining industry, but it was cut talked about Medie Mine situated in Kweneng, which short. That was a potential which by now we could not right now is affecting our farmers environmentally. This be fighting for shares in the diamonds that Honourable environmental impact where vehicles and chemicals Saleshando is talking about. We could have developed are used on that road is affecting their progress and it the agricultural sector and we would be a game changer. is wrong. Therefore, I am requesting you Honourable In 1998 Mr Chairperson, Debswana through Masedi Minister that let us work together and see how we Farms, were already talking about precision farming. can assist those farmers because we are interested They had the best technologies in Pandamatenga. They in producing food. We should find them a solution or had focused production. They grew sorghum and cotton maybe relocate them including Medie stakeholder. that I am talking about. A lot of people do not know but Mr Chairperson, it is about time to identify through we have the capacity to do that. Masedi Farms if it was Trade, and map the value chain of soda ash. We should still there, owned by Debswana or as a conglomerate look at how many soda ash products we are importing. company, we could be far Mr Chairperson. Debswana Which ones can be produced in Botswana and which through the agricultural sector, we could be having ones can we invite investors to invest in? We always a focused production scheme like I said, practical export it to South Africa to be processed while we do agricultural economists and engineers which direct not create jobs or better our economy. the food basket of Botswana. Honourable Minister, we must think, Debswana Today, Botswana Tomorrow. Botswana Geoscience Institute could be assisting and Let us call it DTBT. It should not just be in Orapa and define rural economy. Right now we are saying we have Jwaneng, think about the whole country. This vision of lime which Honourable Molale talked about yesterday. Masedi Farms was the best vision that Debswana came We have granite Mr Chairperson yet nothing is said up with. about it on how do we impact rural economy with that? Publish your exploration findings and advise Batswana, Mr Chairperson, Debswana at that time as a especially in the rural areas to partner through the joint conglomerate that was in the making, did not only venture with investors from outside through cooperatives invest in the agricultural sector, it also invested in the and all those things. Thank you Mr Chairperson. tourism sector. Right now we are crying that the second earner of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) goes to ASSISTANT MINISTER OF INVESTMENT, foreigners and it contributes there. If we could have TRADE AND INDUSTRY (MR MOLEBATSI): nurtured that thing, Debswana could be owning most Thank you Mr Chairperson. This is my first debate and of the concessions, our children could be getting decent I do not know how much time is allocated. jobs and salaries, and the money could be here. MR CHAIRPERSON: 10 minutes. Honourable Minister, it is not too late to go back to your MR MOLEBATSI: 10 minutes only? board, and reinvest, and look at, how do we benchmark the Debswana model like the Masedi Farms and others MR CHAIRPERSON: Yes sir. into a conglomerate which develops Botswana whose returns also profit Botswana. P100 million if invested MR MOLEBATSI: Mr Chairperson, let me start by in the agricultural sector in the Pandamatenga, will give appreciating the Minister of Mineral Resources, Green you very good returns. Technology and Energy Security for the job that he is doing and all that he plans to do going forward. Mr Mr Chairperson, like I said, let me move on from Chairperson, in my debate I want to try to… Am I this one since it pains me as we could have grown audible Mr Chairperson? as an agricultural sector if Debswana was a focused conglomerate. MR CHAIRPERSON: Yes, I can see you.

HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)… MR MOLEBATSI: Am I audible?

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MR CHAIRPERSON: Of course, you are even visible. again tomorrow. That is why we are saying, let us find the transaction advisor, Botswana Power Corporation MR MOLEBATSI: I cannot see myself. (BPC) does not have the capacity to do some of these MR CHAIRPERSON: Proceed. things on their own. Not BPC alone, we know that power corporations such as Eskom and others around MR MOLEBATSI: Okay. Mr Chairperson, what I am the region do not have the capacity to do that. So, let saying is, from way back, on several occasions, this us go for something that is going to help us do things ministry has been unable to execute its projects. This is accordingly. sad. There are certain projects which are behind schedule. We have the Tshele Hills project which could have long Procurement; if we do not manage it accordingly and been carried out. There are solar projects which could end up having issues of corruption, we are going to end be completed by now. We would not be forced to buy up having projects like Morupule B which attracted a lot of electricity from South Africa because globally wrong people to operate our product. Let us make sure we have a lot of hours of sun rays exposure than other that procurement is effective at BPC. I am saying this countries. This ministry could be helping Botswana because some Batswana complained to us yesterday at to be self-sustainable, and reduce some debts more the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI). especially the debt of buying electricity from South They complained that it seems like solar tenders are Africa. Mr Chairperson, for us to be able to do these awarded to foreigners although we have some Batswana things, we need to do things skilfully, efficiently and who are qualified to do these projects. The question have proper procurement systems which will eventually therefore is, when are we going to attain a position give us what we want. We do not want a procurement where we award these projects as Botswana so that they system which gives us the Morupule B that we currently can do them? have. I pray that going forward we should correct the way we do things in this ministry. I will move on to the issue of licencing of IPPs. Looking at what you said, the ministry is complaining on the I am concerned because we have been talking about solar basis that you licenced 100kW and it is small. Where we for a very long time, maybe for almost 10 years; the 250 are as BPC, we could be far in terms of solar generation. megawatts from Selebi Phikwe and Jwaneng. We have We have more sunshine and solar radiation than other 10 grids connected in areas like Molepolole, Gantsi and countries. We cannot be saying that we managed to all the like. Moreover, this tender is sometimes awarded, make rooftop and all these things. All I am doing is cancelled, awarded, cancelled just like that. The thing is, encouraging us to speed up this process and benefit from doing things in that manner is going to take us nowhere. the sun that we have. We are never going to achieve what we want, things that the ministry has to assist us with. Therefore, my We have Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) which they request to the Minister is, let us do things accordingly. talked about. It says they are coming up with a robust Meaning, other countries award these tenders through electricity generation thing. Let it be that robust, be a a programme called Scaling Solar from World Bank success as well as implement it. Take action Minister, instead of doing it haphazardly. Scaling Solar is used in be a political leader in that ministry. Let us speed up countries like Zambia, Senegal and Madagascar through these things. World Bank. World Bank is a transaction advisor in these projects. Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA) talks about filling stations. Yes, they have started to licence These projects are achieved; it is going to connect power filling stations. BERA is going in the right direction, in the grid within a period of two years. Just think about I am impressed because there are some things which how long we have been talking about Jwaneng and they believe are not managed accordingly and all these Selebi Phikwe. We are going to discuss these things for things. So let us increase the retail margin at BERA so 10 years without implementing them. All I am asking that those who have been working in filling stations is, let us develop a mode of doing things accordingly may benefit, let us increase payments. I know that some instead of taking short cuts. I do not know who is the were retrenched because of COVID-19 and as we were transaction advisor on solar projects that I am talking reducing hours of operations of filling stations. What we about because we are not going anywhere with them. can do is, there is a fee paid by motorists for storage We might even be told that they are going to be started and handling which Government is not collecting. This

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thing was introduced in 2009 but Government has never of minerals in Botswana because they have the potential collected it at least once from oil companies. So maybe to generate a lot of income for us especially that many we should increase that fee, that part on the slate shift, countries are currently relying on them. Yesterday when let us increase retail margins, so that we can manage to our President was at Democratic Republic of the Congo give better salaries to those who work in filling stations. (DRC), I wished and hoped that...

The issue of rooftop solar is a welcome thing, it is MR CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Honourable coming up right. We can see that some malls like Game Minister, the time is up. City are going the rooftop way, it is a good idea. I believe it is going to be run smoothly. MR KEORAPETSE (SELEBI PHIKWE WEST): Thank you Mr Chairperson. Mr Chairperson, residents concerning mines; I am worried about mining update of Selebi Phikwe and Batswana at large are hopeful in which talked about employment Mr Chairperson. I will the Minister, as we have already heard that Premium talk about Cut 8 and Cut 9 projects from Debswana Nickel Resources is the preferred bidder in reopening since I used to work closely with them; the consultant of BCL mine. of Debswana is a company from outside. A company from outside that employs people from outside. For At Selebi Phikwe Mr Chairperson, we were never this reason, it is difficult for all Botswana contractors to frightened by reasons that were given for closing the find jobs at Debswana because almost all our mines are mine on the basis that they were shallow, contradictory managed by companies from South Africa. The same and not truthful. They claimed that minerals were applies to Morupule Coal Mine. That Motheo project depleted at Selebi Phikwe and prices were low. We which you are talking about Honourable Minister, the know that previously, prices were fluctuating but the consultant is a DRA from South Africa. What these mine was not closed during that time. companies do is, they discuss outside Botswana for a project which is in Botswana. All they do is to fly into The painful thing is that, many of the workers who Botswana, make money and then go out. These are some did different jobs there; labourers, machine boys, … of the things which I think we are supposed to consider. (Inaudible)… and all engineers lost their jobs at an They have been happening for a long time so maybe alarming rate. The most painful thing was that they got a we have to develop our procedures and do away with one-month salary and lost pensions, gratuities and other them. It is the same thing at Botswana Ash, at Soda Ash benefits. This thing Mr Chairperson impoverished a lot the company that is recently being awarded the tender of people and also made them join the statistics of those to mine or harvest the solar, well, it is a company from who are unemployed at an alarming rate. We witnessed Botswana but does not belong to Batswana. So when are majority of former employees of BCL mine and other we going to give Batswana the opportunity to benefit companies contracted by the mine being blacklisted by from these things at the mines? For us to achieve that, credit bureaus. Others faced civil imprisonment as they we have to take action Honourable Minister, we will could not afford to pay debts which was not deliberate. support you on the basis that citizens must be given an Mr Chairperson, all this happened despite the opportunity to play a part in the economy of our country. Government promising soft landing so that Batswana This thing where we decide to give Batswana 40 per who lost their jobs after the shutting down of BCL mine cent, no, Batswana are capable of doing even more than could be able to sustain themselves. As members of 40 per cent. So let us make sure that that thing is beyond Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), we came up 40 per cent. with a suggestion that there should be a Fair Entitlement Honourable Manake mentioned that we must find out Guarantee Scheme which will basically provide financial the kinds of minerals that we have in our country so that assistance to employees who lose jobs in companies we may focus on them. There are some minerals which like BCL due to liquidation. We further requested the whole world relies on as things keep changing with Government to quickly implement the business rescue time. They include minerals which are used to produce law so as the company is about to be closed down, it car batteries such as lithium, nickel and cobalt. The can be saved. We also suggested that during liquidation whole world is currently relying on them because we are or collapse of corporations, employees should be the going the electric vehicle way, it is abuzz nowadays. In first ones to be paid. Mr Chairperson, we are grateful that manner, we should find out if we have these kinds for the efforts undertaken by the Government and those

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involved in the liquidation process as they managed to but it is never too late. It is never too late Honourable secure a preferred bidder who we anticipate should re- Minister, let us make sure that as the mine is re-opened, open this mine so that people can work. I will not dwell we should make efforts because I once suggested in too much into the politics of the process but Parliament Parliament after the closing of the mine that we can mine, has to be fully briefed for the sake of transparency you mill and then we export the concentrate while waiting relay as the Government. All questions regarding this for the smelter to be opened. The most disheartening should be answered including the one which I will soon part is, before the mine closed, this smelter was repaired notice but have already submitted to the Speaker. with more than P700 million and there are reports that during the process of re-opening the mine, this smelter At Selebi Phikwe, we are grateful and have renewed hope will not be opened. However, my belief is that in future, when we heard Mr Mphathi’s name being mentioned we will not only open the smelter, we will have more because he has experience in the BCL mine. This is the than one so that the ore or concentrate produced in person who when the mine was undergoing liquidation, the entire Southern African region like in countries there was hope that things can be rejuvenated under his like Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South leadership so we will be happy if the rumours that he is Africa, will be smelted at Selebi Phikwe. Not only that, going to be part of the team which is going to undertake let us make plans to build a refinery at Selebi Phikwe efforts to re-open the mine are true. so that the value chain can go as far as manufacturing Minister, I informed you last time that there are plants to create jobs. The dark cloud covering this town companies interested in the tailings and dumps which of poverty was caused by following the wrong procedure are at BCL in order to manufacture sulphur products, of shutting down the mine, something which could have fertilisers and bricks. One of those companies is called been easily prevented. Ferrogrow. I do not know if you ever heard about I would like to conclude by saying if you look at the them, they are located somewhere in BBS. They have history of our partnership with De Beers, you will conducted intense research at Germany and America and realise that it took us a long time to be able to polish made conclusions that they can be able to manufacture these products and hire more than 100 people as per the diamond. After taking such a long time, we own a their plan. This is a citizen owned company and if small stake as a country. Besides that, if you look at their plan is approved, they can establish eight process countries like Mauritius when you talk about jewellery manufacturing plants producing four commercial manufacturing including manufacturing of timepieces commodities as a cluster. I believe you will take action they are far more advanced than us yet they do not Honourable Minister. produce precious minerals like in Botswana. So to answer the question, how come, the answer is truthful In terms of mineral beneficiation; Honourable and it will set us up in our journey to start although it is Saleshando alluded that we should admit defeat. late but we can become more advanced than countries Honourable Members, let us admit that as a country we have failed in terms of mineral beneficiation. If I can such as Mauritius. give an example about Selebi Phikwe town Honourable Looking at the entire diamond production in Botswana Members, we have mined copper and nickel close or we have three mining companies, two are local but we more than 40 years. Mining, milling and smelting, after only own 15 per cent in De Beers company, how come. all those processes we exported the matte in its raw Why can you not at least make efforts to push to over form to other countries, where it is going to be refined to 60 per cent controlling stake in De Beers. We should do produce copper and nickel products. The efforts which like the Saudi Arabians did when they were taking total could have been undertaken in the past was to establish responsibility of their oil from American companies. a refinery plant at Selebi Phikwe which will refine nickel Is it too late to take total control and responsibility of and copper produced from the smelter then set up other our diamonds by owning a higher stake in De Beers? I industries which will manufacture products from nickel believe it is not late, we can still do that… and copper like wires, pipes and others. MR CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Honourable The statement once delivered by Honourable Kitso Keorapetse. Honourable Thiite. Mokaila that there are plans to turn Phikwe into a metallurgical hub could have long been implemented …Silence…

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MR CHAIRPERSON: Is Honourable Thiite not let us look into this and see whether we cannot do much present? Then Honourable Healy. on that area.

…Silence… Something that we could do in partnership with you as Researchers is to look at some panels that we have and MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Lesaso. see what we can do to ensure that they serve us even …Silence… more. Most of the people think the PV electricity does not work because solar panels do not function properly. MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Brooks. Mostly it is because they would be made somewhere else, under cold temperatures and when they are HONOURABLE MEMBER: Allow me to debate Mr exposed to our temperatures which go up to 37 to 40; Chairperson. you will discover that they melt and end up not operating MR CHAIRPERSON: No, it is Honourable Dr optimally. Well, we are ready, we are looking for money. Letsholathebe. There are people who work in Material Science, those who are working on fabricating thin films that make MINISTER OF TERTIARY EDUCATION, solar panels. Having said that, we can do better if we RESEARCH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY could collaborate with the Minster, we can produce (DR LETSHOLATHEBE): Thank you very much Mr plenty of electricity. Chairperson. Let me thank you very much for giving me The other thing that I would like to thank you for is that this opportunity Mr Chairperson, for me to support the you invited me last time at Botho and Airport Junction Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and when they launched their solar panel installation of Energy Security. Mr Chairperson, I support the budget PV. It is something very important. It shows that we request as presented by the Minister because the job that are indeed going somewhere. If you remember the these funds are going to do is very important. demonstrations which we were showed at Botho, being First of all, let me support some of the things he said. shown that instead of the electricity generating in the The first one is very close to my heart; it is in regard to positive way, it reverses as the sun heats those solar renewable energy. This issue of renewable energy is the panels making electricity and you gave that opportunity one that can help us very much in Botswana. If we look to Batswana to do it. I wish you could do that. The times at issues of Photovoltaic (PV), generation of electricity, of roofing using tiles have gone, we should rather put they could assist us. What we have in abundance in the up solar panels so that we would be able to generate our country is sunshine. We have plenty of sunshine. We own electricity, and during month end we would queue could use it; we could be able to generate electricity that at Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) not to pay for can help us. If you take a village like Patayamatebele, the bill but rather to claim our money which we used to it has the PV that are set up that supply the school and generate electricity, putting it in the grid. It shows you some houses with electricity. This shows that if we can have the intention to go that direction. Let me thank you go that direction, we can be able to go somewhere. for that.

The other component we could look at is wind. We There is another issue that I would like to touch on could make use of wind. We have a lot of space, a desert from your speech, thanking you for it, it is in regard to that is not being used. We can be able to put those solar the Bamangwato Concessions Limited (BCL) and Tati panels and the wind propellers that generate electricity Nickle Mines Group. It is something that I have been though wind. observing with a lot of interest. My interest was that most of the people in the constituency I am representing, Tati Therefore, Mr Chairperson, I encourage him to put East were working in these mines. Honourable Minister more effort on that. The 17 per cent which he says he most of them are not working and it is so heart breaking. would achieve to generate electricity via solar PV, I They have families. If something comes up, as you have should think it is still not enough. We can do far much pointed out that there are talks; that there is someone better than that. If you look at countries like Sweden and you have selected to see how far you will go with them, Germany where people are always wearing coats, it is it could help us Honourable Minister because many always very cold, sunlight does not come out much but people will be able to find jobs and it would really help they generate more than this 17 per cent. Yes Minister, them. Let us support those we have sent so that they

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can succeed in the talks. Let us talk to them and take way, they appreciate you very much. That village is in them step by step so that we make sure that this matter darkness. It is the only village without electricity in the becomes a success. I have seen many articles written Tati East constituency. Honourable Minister, you made about it, and I would like to say, ‘no, fellow Batswana; a promise that this year the village will be electrified, let us be sensitive to this and see how far things will go.’ maybe if you were able to at least connect. They are Even us from Research, we are having a lot of interest trailing behind. Sustainable Development Goals in that… (SDGs) say nobody should be left behind. Right now when we talk about working from home, even if it is MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Motsamai is being said students are taught online, they cannot attend raising a point of procedure. lessons when they are at their homes in Patayamatebele MR MOTSAMAI: Mr Chairperson, I stood on because there is no electricity, therefore there is no procedure since earlier on. You called three to four telecommunication. Honourable Minister, if we could people and they are not here. The way the procedure consider this matter and if you can manage to connect is, we have given you a list of those who would like to them, they would be very happy. Even other villages debate. Therefore, we could not… are trailing behind. The villages from the area where I come from are growing. There are new plots whose MR CHAIRPESON: Honourable Motsamai, I am owners would want to be connected, but the process taking the floor back from you, you are out of order. is too slow. In villages like Shashe Bridge there are new plots that need to be connected, and it seems the DR LETSHOLATHEBE: Thank you Mr Chairperson. process is too sluggish. Even Siviya and many other I was still saying from Research we are also ready to villages need to have electricity connections. Last time assist. We have learnt a lesson that taking our copper and I was so shocked when I came in to check on the people nickel outside without using them, means we depend and someone greeted me and said, “good afternoon, on the buyers outside. We are also determined. We are what is the problem, why can we not have electricity working to benefit, so that we would be able to use all connected in our village?” They went on to say, “BPC those, so that the value chain could be able to benefit said I should tell you as a Member of Parliament to get Batswana who are in Botswana. We are observing these the money from the Constituency Fund and connect things; the issue like the one concerning Botswana electricity.” No, Honourable Minister, we sometimes do Institute of Technology Research and Innovation such because we would just be wanting to help, because (BITRI). One Honourable Member said the electric all of us are facing challenges. Your company should not car needs batteries very much. BITRI is working on a say we are the only ones who should use the little money project in which they are ready that if BCL was to be we have to connect electricity to our new plots. reopened, they would see whether they could not use the nickel to make batteries. A battery which will help us As I conclude, let me thank the Minister for assisting us in the electric car, which we are busy working on. The regarding the holes that were in the villages of Matsiloje world over, even companies like Tesla or whoever is and Patayamatebele. You have done a lot in that regard. involved in making electric cars, their biggest headache You have helped to have them covered up. People were is the battery. You would discover that the electric car now afraid of going to the lands due to the illegal land has been assembled, but now when you try to take a miners. They hibernated in those holes and when people journey to Tsamaya, by the time you enter Gaborone, 50 passed by going to the lands, they would fight with kilometres (km) the battery would be dead and you need them, injuring them. That is actually something that can to have a lot of charge. I made a promise to the Minister assist people that side. With those remarks not to worry where the copper and nickel would go. We are on standby; we are going to use that. We are going Honourable Minister, I support your budget request. I to make sure that we use that nickel you would have thank you Mr Chairperson. mined. MR MATHOOTHE (SEROWE NORTH): I thank When I come to the issue of the Electrification Programme you Mr Chairperson. Let me commend the Minister for of our villages, you have done a lot Honourable Minister. presenting his request so diligently. The issue I will look There is village called Patayamatebele, I believe you at, which I will start with is in regard to coal mining. remember it; we went there for another issue. They It shows that we have a lot of coal in Botswana. The are waiting for you Honourable Minister, and by the question one could ask themselves is, does it mean every

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company which wants to mine coal, are we going to give rhinos Mr Speaker, I am not in a position to reveal them permission to do so? If you start at Masama, they the number of rhinos that were dehorned in 2020. have started production, those in Mmamabula will soon We however continue to put in place all the commence, those in Morupule who are growing in leaps necessary measures to protect our rhinos and this and bounds when it comes to coal mining; when you includes dehorning of all the rhinos in the wild as get to Lechana, there is Shumba coal, the question is, prescribed by conservation practices. in Botswana are we just going to give these companies (ii) Given the above already stated sensitivities Mr permission to mine coal? In the end, are we not going Speaker, I am not able to divulge the quantities and to compromise land which could be used for growing the weight of rhino horns that were derived from crops and so forth? These are issues we have to consider. the dehorning exercise that we undertook. There Honourable Minister, you have to consider… is no legal market for rhinos as there is currently MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Mathoothe, let us no legal international trade in the rhino horn that take a break, we shall meet after lunch. The House is is permitted under the Convention on International adjourned, Honourable Members. Trade in Endangered Species, commonly known as the CITES that protects flora and fauna. This PROCEEDINGS SUSPENDED AT 1:00 P.M. FOR is the global convention which governs trade in APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR PROCEEDINGS endangered species, their parts and derivatives. It RESUMED AT 2:00 P.M. is therefore, not possible to ascribe a legal value or price to rhino horn at this point in time. MR SPEAKER (MR SKELEMANI): Order! Order! Honourable Members, good afternoon. Let us resume (iii) Mr Speaker, even that there is no legal value for our business of today with questions. rhino horn in the absence of a legal market; I am unable to state the value of the rhino horn currently QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER in the Government stockpile.

RHINO HORNS (iv) Legal rhino horn trade is not permitted at the moment, thus making it impossible to dispose MR O. RAMOGAPI (PALAPYE): asked the Minister of the rhino horn currently in the Government of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and coffers. Efforts have been made by some rhino Tourism to state: ranch states through the submission of proposals to (i) total number of rhinos dehorned; trade in legally acquired rhino horn at the CITES conferences but this have not been successful. (ii) total number of horns and their weight; (v) Mr Speaker, all rhino horns are kept securely (iii) the price of each horn per kilogramme (kg) at and are monitored at all times. The Wildlife market rate; Conservation and National Parks Act states that all rhino horns shall be Government property, all (iv) the total estimated value of rhino horns in rhino horns have to be surrendered to the state for Botswana; safe storage and for proper accounting under our obligation to CITES. I thank you Mr Speaker. (v) if Botswana intends to sell these horns; if not, why not; and MR RAMOGAPI: Supplementary. Thank you Mr Speaker. Honourable Speaker, first and foremost I want (vi) whether the horns are stored in a secure place. to relay my concerns that you have asked Ministers MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL that if there is an issue of security such that based on RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND TOURISM certain reasons they cannot give the information which (MS KERENG): I thank you Mr Speaker, good the Honourable Members of Parliament would be afternoon. Thank you Honourable Ramogapi. seeking, they should talk to you, and myself. It seems this issue is still ongoing Honourable Speaker. It is as (i) Mr Speaker, rhinos are under severe threat from if they are disregarding you here. Please look into this poaching throughout the continent, including here matter properly and call them to order with a stern voice in Botswana. Due to security concerns surrounding because you were listening to the Honourable Minister.

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Honourable Minister, in any case let me thank you every week two or three, or even one rhino would be for attempting to answer. The main reason why I am killed; but the whole of last year Honourable Member, bringing this question is that Batswana are concerned, we never experienced that situation. So, if we do not and I am also concerned because Batswana are saying have reports here, it is going to be difficult for me to tell ever since you took over the ministry responsible for you that we can meet in Parliament and discuss street conserving wildlife, wild animals are just vanishing rumours, and you have already explained that you got under your nose, compared with a time when Honourable the information from the streets. I plead that we should Tshekedi Khama held the reigns. I want you to explain work on the reports which are issued by this ministry, to Batswana that what they are talking about in the which are acceptable, not allegations that we get from streets, could it be true or not so that those reports could the streets as you alluded. be ignored that under your watch it seems many wild The Honourable Member also asked how we protect our animals are getting lost. The figures are showing that wildlife. We have the Anti-Poaching Strategy in which under your watch many rhinos were killed. Also tell us we joined forces with our security forces which are that if it is indeed true, what your take on this is. How helping us to protect and to look after our wildlife. We do you intend to protect them? Also regarding the rhino are currently reviewing this strategy to see how we can horns, do tourists appreciate seeing them dehorned improve it. like that, according to your observation? I thank you Honourable Speaker. You asked if I am satisfied with what we are doing as a ministry to protect wildlife. I would like to point out MR SPEAKER: Honourable Minister, you are aware that, since we are talking about rhinos, when it comes about the Standing Orders, it is not nice for you to say to the rhinos which we placed at Okavango, we are you consider something secret, so you are going to still working with the Defence Force and they are still answer whether …(Inaudible)…Standing Orders with protected through the Anti-Poaching Strategy, which your Permanent Secretary (PS)…(Inaudible)… that indicated the department that can assist us around discussion between you, the Honourable Member who different areas in the Kgalagadi region. Honourable, I asked the question and the Speaker. believe that even though we continue to improve our procedures, I am satisfied with how we have been doing MS KERENG: Thank you Mr Speaker. Let me things, more especially looking at the fact that we are acknowledge that error, we will put our house in order; at a time where we want to improve how we have been thank you very much Honourable Member. Honourable doing things in order to reinforce how we protect them. Member, you were saying you understand that I am Even the practice of dehorning rhinos is adopted by not able to give you the reports that you need, and you countries across the globe to try and reduce poaching. I are concerned that ever since I started overseeing this believe that tourists understand and they know that this ministry the wild animals are dying. I do not know how horn is dehorned and it grows back in about one and a the Minister could be the one killing the wild animals, half to three years, and that at the right time that horn and you are also saying you are getting these reports would grow again. Thank you Mr Speaker. from the streets. Honourable Member, we do not operate based on street talk, we are a Government, we MR RAMOGAPI: Point of procedure. Mr Speaker, do things according to the book and we give reports. We the procedure that I would like to rise on is that the work hand in hand with our stakeholders, and we have Honourable Minister is making two different statements. been giving reports as to how we are taking care of our She once made a statement here in Parliament answering wild animals, protecting them; together with strategies the question which was asked by Honourable Nkawana, and policies we have been implementing, and so forth. and she pointed that it is indeed true that under her What I can point out is that the reports of saying the wild management, we have recorded a high number of animals are dying in numbers or they are disappearing poaching as compared to the previous predecessor, since I assumed office in this ministry sir, I have never that is what she highlighted. At that time, Honourable heard of such reports. Maybe you could bring those Nkawana asked if the situation is not triggered by reports to me, so that I can also issue reports that show the fact that we have disarmed wild life officers. She that since the beginning of 2020 around February, March pointed out that no, many wild animals were stolen. the theft for rhinos has reduced significantly. We used to Today she has changed her statement and she is saying hear in the streets, they can attest to that; we knew that that she does not know anything and that under her

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watch everything is going accordingly. It seems like will address issues relating to market structuring, she does not take Parliament serious when she answers pricing, citizen participation and other issues these questions, this House should be give one accurate along the entire value chain. The report, which answer Honourable Minister. Thank you. is expected in April 2021 will contain detailed baseline assessment of how the local LPG HONOURABLE MEMBER: I asked for a point of industry has been functioning, findings and procedure Honourable Speaker. recommendations; and an implementation matrix HONOURABLE MEMBER: Supplementary. for progressing the agreed recommendations. Therefore, Mr Speaker, I will urge the Honourable MR SPEAKER: I do not understand what these Member Lesaso to await the completion of this procedures are about. If the Honourable Minister in particular study I am referring to. your view is giving contradictory statements, that is not an issue of procedure. I passed the stage of In terms of (ii), (iii) and (iv) Mr Speaker, my ministry supplementaries, I have called upon the Honourable is not aware of the alleged cartel that has squeezed Member for Shoshong, Honourable Lesaso. out local indigenous businesses to foreclosure by applying underhand methods of competition. This NON-INDIGENOUS COMPANIES AND Honourable House may be pleased to learn that BERA CORPORATIONS has a standing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Consumer and Competition Authority (CCA) MR A. LESASO (SHOSHONG): asked the Minister with the objective to consult, cooperate and exchange of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy information related to the monitoring and oversight Security if he is aware that; of the energy market within the jurisdiction of BERA (i) The non-indigenous Batswana gas monopoly and and CCA. Furthermore, Section 62 of the BERA Act large corporate entities of importers, retailers and provides that all issues relating to competition that distributers have and continue to push indigenous may arise during the discharge of BERA’s functions Batswana out of the lucrative business; must be referred to the CCA. Therefore, my ministry through BERA will refer this to the CCA to carry out the (ii) This cartel has squeezed out local indigenous necessary investigations. businesses to foreclosure by applying underhand methods of competition; In short Mr Speaker, I was just pointing out that we are waiting for the study that is being carried out, (iii) One or two of the success stories we had were which is expected in April. This study will contain closed out because of control by the cartel detailed baseline assessment about how the local monopoly gas businesses have on cylinders and LPG industry has been functioning, what should be valves through the Safety Association of Southern improved and recommendations and then we will have Africa (SASA) based in the Republic of South recommendations after that report. Africa; and As for the point that there are some people who are (iv) These non-indigenous companies and distressing locals in this industry, we have not yet corporations, through negative campaigns realised that and we are not aware of it. We humbly succeeded to discredit the valve and cylinders plead that the Honourable Member should enlighten used by indigenous Botswana. us with any information that he might have so that we MINISTER OF MINERAL RESOURCES, GREEN make a follow up on it together with CCA who we work TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY SECURITY (MR with in order for them to assist us with such kind of MOAGI): Thank you Mr Speaker and good afternoon. investigations. With those words Mr Speaker, I thank you. (i) Mr Speaker, in response to Question 306 that was previously asked by the Honourable Member on MR LESASO: Supplementary. Mr Speaker, while the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), I had indicated Minister is still talking about the studies that they are that my ministry through the Botswana Energy conducting, I would like to enlighten him that currently Regulatory Authority (BERA) was undertaking these multinational companies agree on the cylinder a market study on LPG. As indicated, the study prices at South Africa, and every new entrant who enters

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this industry, they squeeze them out of the business SCHOOLS IN KGALAGADI NORTH because they have already set their prices. When you are new in this business of selling gas, they give you MS T. MONNAKGOTLA (KGALAGADI NORTH): the cylinder price because they already have their own asked the Minister of Basic Education: prices. You will go there saying, “this is the selling (i) which schools in Kgalagadi North have been price that I can manage to set for my gas,” for example, identified to host sports competitions; and they squeezed Pula Holdings out of this business and Tswana Gas is currently struggling because of these (ii) when bathing showers will be constructed at the multinational companies. Are you aware that they have identified schools. a system that they are using? ASSISTANT MINISTER OF BASIC EDUCATION Secondly, these multinational companies go to South (MS MAKWINJA): Thank you Mr Speaker. Thank you Africa to buy gas and then store it. When the local Honourable Member. Honourable Member, as per your people go there to buy, they would be told that there question, all schools in Kgalagadi North Constituency, is no gas and then they are forced to come back to buy with the exception of Ngwatle Primary, have playing gas from those who purchased gas where they blocked fields which are used for sport activities including local Batswana from buying. competitions. The facilities in schools are adequate for Lastly, what are you going to do to ensure that you the learners to participate in a wide range of sports but store gas in Botswana, so that Batswana who venture generally are not up to the standard required for sport into the business of selling gas can get it locally without competitions. We have not been able to do this due to ...(Inaudible)…multinationals in South Africa. That is many challenges faced by schools. Firstly, we must all Mr Speaker. ensure that teachers are provided with accommodation. We also have shortage of classrooms. MR MOAGI: Thank you Mr Speaker, thank you So, those are the reasons that make developing playing Honourable Member Lesaso. I would like to assure him fields difficult and results in us not producing competitive that I hear all his grievances, and he can assist us as athletes needed by Honourable Rakgare. Right now in a ministry and BERA who are managing regulations Kgalagadi North, as you are aware, 12 staff housing have of gases, by lending or giving us the information that been built at Lehutshelo and Lehututu Junior Secondary he has. I am not denying anything that he is saying, Schools. So it will be unfair to teachers and students for because it is what he knows. We are not aware of what the Ministry of Basic Education to use funds to develop he just highlighted, so I plead that he should give us all playing fields. that information so that we can follow it up and rectify. That is why BERA always visits people who are into So like I said, we are looking at assessments made by the gas industry; whether retailers or wholesalers, to Honourable Rakgare’s ministry and ours to see how best get information from them. This is the market study I we can facilitate sports in our schools since they want am talking about, they want to learn from them, those athletes from us. So, we are still considering what to do grievances will be discovered and they will solve them. going forward in terms of these playing fields. So those Even the price is set and regulated by BERA. So, if they assessments are ongoing Honourable Member. Thank have not set the price somewhere, that is what we will you. find out. I can promise that that is our intention, so help us as stakeholders in this, that if there is any information MS MONNAKGOTLA: Supplementary. Thank you you have that we may not have this side, give it to us Mr Speaker and good afternoon again. I thank the so that we can mend this situation. As companies such Honourable Minister for the response. So, Honourable as Tswana Gas keep growing, we should support them Minister, does this mean that Kgalagadi North or until they even have Balete Gas and so forth. That is Kgalagadi South cannot host music competitions or ball what we want in Botswana and we intend to make sure sports. So it means only schools this side will continue that happens. hosting. Is that what you are saying Honourable Minister? I hope our matter will not stop here, as the Minister, I will meet the Honourable Member to provide me with MS MAKWINJA: Thank you Honourable Member. the information I will pass on to my departments so that That is not what I am saying. Remember that if students we map the way forward. I thank you. are unable to participate in sport activities or host some

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events, it is because of the reasons I earlier mentioned (ii) has the Minister considered availing the required that it is not deliberate. I have remembered that this resources to establish this Sub-Land Board for situation is not only at Kgalagadi, most schools do not Ghanzi East. have what you are talking about Honourable Member. MINISTER OF LAND MANAGEMENT, WATER Not that it is alright, that is why I am saying, assessments AND SANITATION SERVICES (MR MZWINILA): have been made to find where developments can Mr Speaker, I am aware that Ghanzi East Sub-District be made in consultation with the Ministry of Youth Council villages have no sub-land board servicing them. Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development. This The villages are currently serviced by the Ghanzi Main is because we have certain challenges and therefore we Land Board and receive all the services that would have prioritise important needs such as books, infrastructure been provided by a sub-land board. The main land board and so on. We are not in any way saying some schools can function and provide all the services at the sub-land do not deserve these things. That is not true. Thank you. board.

DUAL CITIZENSHIP (i) Mr Speaker, the major challenge is that the main land board acts as both the main and sub-land DR U. DOW (SPECIALLY ELECTED): asked board. In the event that there is need for clients to the Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender appeal decisions of the Board they have to directly Affairs: appeal to the Land Tribunal, which they do at the present moment. (i) whether she accepts that citizenship is bestowed upon one by operation of the law of the country (ii) Mr Speaker, district leadership has previously bestowing same and that it is unfair, inconvenient submitted the same request to my ministry for and distressing for one to be punished for acts that our consideration. The request was however not implemented/accepted due to resource challenges are not one’s own, as when it is found that an adult at the time. The funding situation has not changed person did not renounce a citizenship, that in some for the better and we are still facing the same cases one did not even know they had; resource challenges. My ministry is therefore not (ii) if she is aware that there are many people who in a position to establish a sub-land board for the villages in the Ghanzi East Sub-District Council were born with dual citizenship, have never for now. I thank you Mr Speaker. sought to enjoy the other, but are now facing legal, educational, residence and other challenges MR THIITE: Supplementary. Thank you Mr Speaker. associated with failing to renounce that other Thank you Honourable Minister. Honourable Minister, citizenship upon turning 21 years old; and as you are here appreciating the challenges faced by people from Ghanzi East villages, one of the challenges (iii) what legal and/or policy reforms she plans to they are faced with is when they have to appeal, like initiate to solve this problem. you mentioned in your answer, they have to go to Later Date. Land Tribunal, but you will recall that most of these villages like we mentioned Kuke, Qabo, Bere, West SUB-LAND BOARD FOR GHANZI EAST SUB- Hanahai, Chobokwane, New Xade, are remote villages DISTRICT Honourable Speaker. This means that it is challenging for these people to go to Land Tribunal as you said. MR J. L. THIITE (GHANZI NORTH): asked the Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Mr Speaker, this disadvantages them. So, what is going Services if he is aware that Ghanzi East Sub-District to be the solution of assisting them because at the end of Council villages of Grootlaagte, Qabo, Kuke, New the day, they are unable to go to Land Tribunal though Xade, East and West Hanahai, Chobokwane, Bere- they wish to appeal as sometimes loss of their cases is Kacgae have no sub-land board servicing them; if so: due to things that could have been dealt with in-house but becomes so escalated beyond their capabilities and (i) whether this is not disadvantaging them as resources to be able to reach there. Mr Speaker, are we compared to other villages having a sub-land not saying our aim is to assist remote area dwellers with board; and services where they are? I thank you Mr Speaker.

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MR MZWINILA: Thank you Mr Speaker. Like I crops that can survive during floods or when there is tried to explain, we are facing resource challenges at water logging. That is Disaster Management Plan Mr the moment to be able to establish a sub-land board in Speaker that maybe we might get some assistance Ghanzi East like the Honourable Member and others from organisations like Green Fund which is under the suggested. For this reason, we provide them with Ministry of Environment. In this manner, we are going services from Land Tribunal in Maun and even if they to manage to solve issues of climate change which affect were provided with a sub-land board, they were still farmers. Thank you Mr Speaker. going to get services from main land board. If they were MR MAJAGA: Supplementary. Thank you Mr Speaker not pleased with the decision made by land board, they and thank you Honourable Minister. I appreciate your were still going to report at Maun. So, there is nothing response Minister. Do you not think the times that we that we can do right now because… for example; in are in require us to reserve some budget for Disaster order for us to operate a sub-land board, we need about Management every year instead of requesting from 27 personnel in that office. So right now we do not have the ministry? Whether it will be small as it can be but enough resources to appoint that number of people or we should always have it looking at the disasters that source offices where they can start working. The only usually have some serious occurrence time and again thing they can do right now is to report cases at Land because of climate change, not only at Nata-Gweta but Tribunal. Thank you. across the country. If we do that, this budget is going to ASSISTANCE TO FARMERS assist us in terms of mitigating these disasters.

MR P. MAJAGA (NATA-GWETA): asked the Minister MS MANAKE: I agree with you Honourable Majaga. of Agricultural Development and Food Security: It is a very important idea and it is one of the things that we are considering. This is why we talked about (i) if there is any budget to assist farmers affected by the early warning signs system which might help us to floods at Gweta and surrounding areas as water identify natural disasters which may occur and affect logging has caused food insecurity in the area; and our agricultural sector, and how we solve them going forth. For example; our crops were affected by locust (ii) whether his ministry has any plans to seek last time and it was a public concern which fell under assistance from international organisations to Disaster Management and so on. If you were paying assist farmers affected by floods. attention, as a ministry, we were not prepared but I ASSISTANT MINISTER OF AGRICULTURAL believe structurally, we are trying to rectify these kinds DEVELOPMENT AND FOOD SECURITY (MS of issues. This means we are going to have divisions that MANAKE): Thank you Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, we focus in these kinds of things so that we will be prepared are aware that farmers were affected by floods at Nata- when they occur Mr Speaker. Thank you. Gweta and surrounding areas as water logging has YOUTH TALENT caused food insecurity in the area. We are also aware that this thing has greatly affected the agricultural sector MR K. NKAWANA (SELEBI PHIKWE EAST): since plants are rotting and thereby negatively affecting asked the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and our economy as far as food security is concerned. Culture Development to apprise this Honourable House on initiatives to introduce and support youth talent and Mr Speaker, that is beyond our control since it is a its sustenance, as well as businesses development natural disaster. This kind of a situation is coordinated by Disaster Management Office (DMO) which is ASSISTANT MINISTER OF YOUTH under the Ministry of Presidential Affairs and we are EMPOWERMENT, SPORT AND CULTURE collaborating with them to find a solution. DEVELOPMENT (MR BILLY): Thank you Mr Speaker, I also thank you Honourable Nkawana. Honourable Member, let me highlight that we have a Disaster Management Plan or we are still drafting it. Mr Speaker, Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport As a ministry, we intended to discuss issues like early and Culture Development (MYSC) has plans and warning signs system and so on so that we will be in programmes which offer assistance to youth with, a position to explain what might happen in a certain earning a living, business related issues and interests. So area. Additionally, we are also going to research about you will realise that we have what is called Constituency

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Sports Programme in all our constituencies. This support youth talent during this COVID-19 pandemic programme is used to encourage the youth to engage for their sustenance? themselves in sports activities to exercise their bodies as well as expand their talents. MR BILLY: Thank you Mr Speaker. Thank you Honourable Member. You might realise that you We also have Constituency Arts Competition which are repeating the question you asked me, which I offer programmes like those that perform during already answered. You asked what initiatives we are Presidents’ Day, Independence Day as well as film undertaking during COVID-19. You know that we run festivals. Additionally, we also have cultural activities this Government by One Government Policy of which where you will find that the youth are mostly the ones during suspension of public gatherings, we cannot who take part in these competitions. In that manner, this encourage youth to gather people and perform. programme encourages the youth to partake in issues of culture as well as use it to earn a living. So, what we are currently doing is, myself and Honourable Rakgare, we are visiting youth businesses Mr Speaker, MYSC is collaborating with other ministries and most of them are doing well. Even in terms of to promote the lives of youth through businesses, repayment Honourable, we have been complaining fending for themselves or through the programmes that about default on loan repayments but we are now we have. We also help them in the process of expanding surprised as we realise that they are repaying their loans their businesses gradually. We collaborate with Local which indicate that indeed youth businesses are striving. Enterprise Agency (LEA) which falls under Honourable Honourable Member, youths are continuing to perform Serame and Honourable Molebatsi’s ministry. They but there is a restriction in the number of the audience. support the youth in terms of capacity building. Thank you Mr Speaker.

MYSC also has the Youth Development Fund (YDF). KIDNEY AND DIALYSIS SERVICES It is a programme which we use to encourage the youth to start businesses, to be independent, to increase their MR K. C. HIKUAMA (NGAMI): asked the Minister knowledge and skills in terms of running businesses. of Health and Wellness to brief this Honourable House on the state of kidneys and dialysis services in the We also have another special programme which cuts country; and further state: across ministries. This programme helps youths who (i) the number of kidneys and dialysis centres in own some companies to enjoy subsidies, for example; if Botswana and their locations; a tender is sold for P50, they will buy it at half price, that is P20. I and Honourable Rakgare toured constituencies (ii) the number of those privately owned; and to find out how they wish to be assisted. They indicated (iii) whether or not Government has any intention to that this programme is greatly assisting them in terms establish one in the North West Region. of competing with other businesses. Thank you Mr Speaker. ASSISTANT MINISTER OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS (MR LELATISITSWE): Thank you so MR NKAWANA: Supplementary. Thank you Mr much Mr Speaker. Thank you Honourable Hikuama. Speaker. Thank you Minister for your answer. Ever The Government of Botswana has invested heavily in since the outbreak of the pandemic, most of the the treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease by youth, especially in my constituency have not had any availing all the modalities of kidney replacement therapy. programme which offered them assistance based on These include Peritoneal Dialysis, Haemodialysis and their talents. This means, there is no programme which Kidney Transplantation. help them to make use of their talents, improve them or even to preserve them. It seems like they have given up. Peritoneal Dialysis is a home-based therapy wherein the patient self-administers therapy at home and is offered When it comes to performing arts, they have nowhere to at the major referral and district public hospitals in the perform and this makes them forget their talents. Such country, including Letsholathebe II Memorial Hospital. talent needs to be performed every day so that the youth might not forget, it needs to be nurtured. So Minister, Kidney Transplantation services are offered through the question is what initiatives are you undertaking to Princess Marina Hospital (PMH) with the kidney

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transplantation surgeries done in India. However, home, and it is offered at the major referral and district haemodialysis services are offered to Batswana on an public hospitals in the country, including Letsholathebe. outsourced basis. Currently countrywide, there are 478 patients on chronic haemodialysis, 152 on peritoneal So we are currently engaging with the local private dialysis and 35 post kidney transplantation. companies to provide haemodialysis. There is what is called Peritoneal Dialysis, which uses your body to try (i) Nephrology services/kidney services are offered to assist the kidney to function. Haemodialysis is where at the three health facilities in Botswana. The we introduce an artificial kidney to help your system two main referral hospitals namely, Nyangabgwe which is administered under specialist care. Perhaps if and Princess Marina Hospitals; as well as Tshere was present he could explain better. That is the Letsholathebe Hospital. one we are not providing but we are trying to outsource (ii) There are six privately owned haemodialysis to the private hospitals. I think that is my answer Mr services in the country. These are: Speaker, there is nothing else beyond that. Thank you.

• Tati Riverside Hospital in Francistown HONOURABLE MEMBER: Supplementary.

• Tati Riverside Clinic in Palapye MR SPEAKER: The time is up. Question nine and the following ones will go to the next day. There is a • Renal Care Institute in Gaborone question without notice. • Gaborone Private Hospital QUESTION WITHOUT NOTICE • Bokamoso Private Hospital COVID-19 INTERRUPTIONS ON PROVISION • Sidilega Private Hospital OF HEALTH SERVICES

(iii) At present, there is no intention to establish MR O. REGOENG (MOLEPOLOLE NORTH): Government owned haemodialysis in the North asked the Minister of Health and Wellness to apprise West region. However, the ministry is in the this Honourable House on: process of finalising arrangements for citizen (i) the number of nurses and doctors in Botswana owned private healthcare entities to provide renal/ who on account of COVID-19 pandemic related kidney/nephrology care, including haemodialysis in North West region and other districts such as complications have been in and out of isolation, Kgalagadi to increase access to care. I thank you quarantine, sick-leave and/or died between Mr Speaker. December 2020 and to date;

MR KEKGONEGILE: Supplementary. Thank you Mr (ii) how has this affected public health service delivery Speaker. As a follow-up, Minister you did not give a clear in our health facilities; and explanation regarding the current state of Letsholathebe (iii) any intervention measures in place to avert or and your intentions. How do you differentiate the two? mitigate any possible interruptions, caused by Secondly, you mentioned that there is one centre at Letsholathebe which us, residents of North West are not COVID-19 phenomenon on smooth provision of aware of. When was the last time the centre treated a health services in all public health facilities. patient? Which specialist is based at Letsholathebe? Do Later Date. they fly from here to Letsholathebe to run the clinic and return or what? MR SPEAKER: Let us move on to the Budget.

MR LELATISITSWE: Thank you so much Mr HONOURABLE MEMBER: Can we finish these two Speaker. I said at Letsholathebe we have Peritoneal Mr Speaker? Dialysis. It is not every patient who is treated through MR SPEAKER: Who are you?…(Inaudible)… this method, it is a dialysis done through the stomach to help the kidney. Peritoneal Dialysis is a home-based therapy wherein the patient self-administers therapy at

28 Hansard No 201 Tuesday 16th March, 2021 ORGANISATION 1000 -MINISTRY OF MINERAL RESOURCES, GREEN TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY SECURITY: Committee of Supply (Resumed Debate)

ASSEMBLY IN COMMITTEE farmers who own boreholes at the cattle posts are not able to have ploughing fields where they can grow crops (CHAIRPERSON in the Chair) for their cattle. As a coal mine is being established there, APPROPRIATION (2021/2022) BILL, the company is going to be given this land. These are 2021 (NO. 2 OF 2021) some of the things that we have to assess to see if we have not given many companies licenses by now. ORGANISATION 1000 -MINISTRY OF MINERAL RESOURCES, GREEN The other thing that we have to pay close attention to TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY is the fact that it often seems like companies which SECURITY want to mine whatever the mineral they want to mine, go around doing many prospecting, taking land and (Resumed Debate) from there they go to other countries to ask for funding. Minister, you have to assess this because it seems like MR CHAIRPERSON (MR SKELEMANI): these people gamble with our land. Companies come Honourable Members, we continue with the debate and here without funds and from there they block people I will call upon the Minister to reply to the debate at who could have made developments there. After they 15:10. The question will be put at 15:40. Honourable are given these prospecting licences, that is when they Mathoothe was on the floor. go and look for funding. The Honourable Minister MR MATHOOTHE: Thank you Mr Chairperson. We should pay attention to these things because we will stopped while I was still talking about mines… am I end realising that we have been cheated, giving people audible Mr Chairperson? licences to mine. Sometimes you find that even the land that is allocated to these companies, as I talked about MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Mathoothe, you Shumba Coal company who are asking for a huge piece have the floor. of land to mine and build a power station, after they are MR MATHOOTHE: I stopped while I was still talking given that land, they end up using it to keep wildlife about coal mines. It seems like coal mining is outdated. there even though they are supposed to open a mine Countries are now moving towards producing renewable there and you wonder why they were given this piece energy, focusing on renewable sources as compared to of land only for them to keep wildlife even though it coal. As I speak, there is Shumba Coal Company which has been taken away from farmers who also wanted to has been given a prospecting licence around Lechana, rear cattle there. It is now used for tourism, they are no Phikwane and Shalakwe farms and their aim is to open a longer mining and this comes after they blocked farmers coal mine and then building a power station. When you pay attention, it is rather important for us to move towards from ploughing there only for them to use the land for sources that can provide us with renewable energy like tourism. These are some of the things that we have to I said, which includes solar and biomass as Honourable keep an eye on. Manake alluded, because coal mining is outdated. The MR TSHERE: Elucidation. Thank you Mr Chairperson. other thing is that there is uranium in Serule, so we I am adding on to the point that Honourable Mathoothe have to see if we cannot produce a nuclear generated raised in relation to solar energy. Right now we are electricity. When this electricity is produced there is no talking about a little under 10 per cent of our generating carbon emission. So, these are some of the things that capacity in terms of solar, but I notice that this report we need to move towards because doing that would not indicates that Coal Bed Methane and Tlou Energy are even pollute the environment. If we are still focusing soliciting this contract. Everywhere I saw Coal Bed on producing coal, other countries are already moving Methane being used, it is always used together with solar. forward and at the end Botswana has opened coal mines It is a hybrid of solar generating systems incorporated all over even though we do not have a market and we with Coal Bed Methane. If we are generating with Coal will later realise that we have compromised agricultural Bed Methane alone, I do not know whether we will land. As I talked about Shumba Coal Company which I reach that capacity. I take it that we are not yet serious believe the Minister will address in his response, they are now fighting with farmers because they want to take about generating energy if we are still talking about land and use it for coal mining. You can see that farmers rooftop solar PVs and stuff. I thank you very much for are going to end up not having farming land. Currently, raising those concerns. Thank you.

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MR MATHOOTHE: Thank you Honourable Member. MR THIITE (GHANZI NORTH): Thank you Mr We have to pick our pace because farmers whom I came Speaker. Let me take this time Mr Speaker to comment across were able to use the combination of solar and on this chapter of the ministry responsible for energy. wind energy, all in the one farm. You can clearly see that Just briefly, let me thank the Honourable Members for we now have to upgrade. The problem that is there is the support they gave me. I managed to go home to bury that coal mining ways result in our land having pits but my loved one and I have even received the bereavement if we hurry to use renewable sources, we will be able to contributions. Thank you for the messages you wrote conserve our land. and the ones you sent through various platforms. I thank you Members of Parliament for your support. One of the issues that I want to bring to the Minister’s attention is the issue of companies which are assisting Mr Speaker, I am just arriving and I will try to touch on Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) to connect the critical issues that the Minister talked about. Maybe electricity, which have been chosen by them. When I should start by saying energy is a very important thing these companies set prices, it always seems like they in our country. We have experienced load shedding charge high prices and those prices end up going down for several years, and in the absence of electricity, to Batswana who are connecting electricity. If it was water would also not be able to reach people. It is very said that Batswana should buy a transformer, they were important for the Honourable Minister to address these going to buy it with a smaller amount. The only issue is situations, and see what we could do to have enough that processes are controlled by companies which are electricity such that we could even be able to export it. listed under BPC, hence charges end up being high and it Our electricity import bill is high, and these are things becomes difficult for Batswana to connect electricity at we have to critically look into. the lands because the quotations are high. The Minister Let me say I heard the Minister saying buildings like the has to pay attention to issues of costing, he should keep ones at Airport Junction mall have managed to connect an eye on those companies to see if they are giving him to solar panels. One would wonder, if a company can reasonable prices. manage to use solar energy, as a Government knowing These are the issues that we came across when we that we intend to build certain structures; we intend to toured the constituency. That is one thing that is build schools and new clinics, we intend to maintain going to end up straining Batswana, companies which schools and old clinics. The question is, has the Minister connect electricity end up making a lot of money while talked to those responsible for infrastructure, and other Batswana on the other hand are experiencing the pinch. departments so that the Government buildings could If they could see that they give BPC reasonable prices, also connect solar panels, so that we could reduce the Batswana were not going to feel the discomfort. amount of electricity used in schools, hospitals and so forth. Maybe this can reduce the prices of electricity. The other issue that is there is that when electricity is Honourable Minister, you have to look closely at this being connected at the villages, it is important to make issue, we should start having such a plan for the buildings sure that as we would be using a lot of money to connect which the Government will build, and we should not that electricity, there should be no parts of the village wait for tomorrow. We need to start this financial year. which are not on the map. They should make sure that they broaden electricity connection, so that we do not I wanted to talk about areas in my constituency like find other wards not on the map. When electricity is Kuke where there is no electricity in the village. There distributed, many people are going to be able to buy is no electricity but there is a mine in Kuke, there is a electricity and BPC will make profits. We should not grid which is being built which comes from Morupule use a lot of money to connect electricity while other B, and the people of Kuke are just spectators, they people are not assisted. These are some of the issues just see it passing over their heads going to a mine in that the Minister has to keep an eye on and make sure Ghanzi. Honourable Minister, how are you assisting that when we say that we are assisting a certain village in this regard? Is Kuke village going to be helped with electricity, everyone in that village has a right to because we know that since a mine has arrived, there connect... is going to be an expansion that is going to be needed? Maybe the people of Kuke could have an opportunity MR CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Honourable for electricity to arrive in their area and they would be Mathoothe, Honourable Thiite. able to provide services and be able to have activities

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which could generate income for them, those activities I would also like to talk about the issue of farmers that would be taking place at the mine. I would like in Ghanzi Honourable Minister. There are issues or to point out that we have another small village called challenges they are facing. Since the mine arrived, they Qabo, and they also do not have electricity. We know believe the mine digs deeper and the Ghanzi water table that there are Government buildings there, and through has been shallow, the farmers have realised that their the programme which was used by the River Walk Mall, boreholes are drying up. Mines bring developments, but it could be possible because we know that we have a we do not wish to see the income that people have been lot of solar energy in our area and it could give us an generating through agriculture being affected. These opportunity to generate electricity via technology. We things have to be addressed Honourable Minister. should see these opportunities also being available for people in areas such as Qabo. The last one that I wanted to talk about, maybe talking about the import bill, Minister, last time I spoke about Mr Speaker, I would now like to talk about the new the dry port in Namibia in response to the Budget mine which is going to be opened in Ghanzi. Looking Speech. If you look at a country like South Africa, at the Minister’s presentation, although I did not look they also get fuel from other countries and they bring at it broadly since I was just arriving, I realise that he it through ships to Durban, then they get that fuel from did not talk at length about this mine. If you may take ships, and distribute it throughout South Africa via note, this area of Ghanzi will be having a mine for the pipelines; some of them are under ground, some are first time in history. It is not only Ghanzi, even the areas on the surface, but you would realise that South Africa surrounding Ghanzi. It shows that since the people of only...around 28 000 kilometres on fuel pipe which Ghanzi have not been exposed to a mining environment, carries the fuel distributing it around the country. A time when other people get employed, our people might has come Minister, I appreciate the fact that you want end up being spectators because they do not have the to build a fuel storage in my constituency, but I feel requisite skills which they should have acquired from this is not a sustainable project. The sustainable project working in a mining environment. How has the Minister would be to bring fuel through pipes from Walvis Bay, engaged the mine to ensure that they allow the people it would make fuel cheap in the country, and in the long of Ghanzi to take part when it comes to jobs? At the run we will be able to brand our fuel. At the moment, moment we are seeing services here and there, as the like Honourable Minister Manake was saying earlier; mine is getting ready. The activities are commencing but she pointed out that there is British Petroleum which is most of the time we see companies that are coming from now Puma, there is Total, it is a French company, there outside, so the residents of Ghanzi are just spectators. is Engen, a South African company, and Caltex, and you Honourable Minister, I would like you to address this know that all trucks which bring fuel from South Africa issue, the residents of Ghanzi will be listening to you are not owned by Batswana. Last time I visited a certain today, as you shall be responding to this issue. They company which distributes fuel in Botswana, I will not are interested in knowing how you are going to include mention it by name. I asked them how many trucks they them in jobs at the Ghanzi mine. The other one besides had and they told me that alone they have over 300 jobs Honourable Minister, the Honourable Members trucks. So how are we going to create jobs when we are have been talking about various mines like Debswana, not able to come up with projects that are sustainable? I all the various mines. Mines have got a more defined was thinking the Minister should make a review of the economic activity which small companies, small failed projects which maybe in the next financial year the businesses could benefit from by doing projects there Government intends to involve the private sector in, so or providing services. The issue is that the role of local that we would be able to create a sustainable economy, companies; when the Honourable Minister and the mine be able to create jobs. I would like the Honourable had a dialogue, because they have never invited me to Minister to look into this matter critically and check any meeting involving the mine; when they talked about whether we cannot embark on this project of bringing the people of Ghanzi, about the provision of services fuel from Namibia, while the private sector deals with and businesses, as to what the intentions are in ensuring fuel storage. I thank you Mr Chairperson. that the people of Ghanzi, places surrounding Ghanzi up to Kang, reaching as far as Ghanzi South, up to MR CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Honourable Thiite. Toteng; what is it that is going to be done to ensure that Honourable Members, it is now time to call upon the businesses in Ghanzi also benefit Honourable Minister? Honourable Minister to reply to the debate.

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MINISTER OF MINERAL RESOURCES, GREEN I will talk about it holistically, BCL Group of Companies TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY SECURITY (MR includes Tati nickel mine and others, so if there are MOAGI): Thank you Mr Chairperson. I would also like some assets which will not be taken by the liquidator, to thank the Honourable Members for making relevant everyone who will be there can have the opportunity to comments. I believe that it was due to time that some take the remaining assets so that they can use them, as Honourable Members did not get the opportunity to some assets were listed which I will talk about during comment. I will try and address one comment at a time my response, so that they can be able to revive Selebi or summarise them where possible. So let me quickly Phikwe to a better condition as well as Tati mine in go through them. Francistown.

Many Honourable Members talked about similar things You will remember that we have Special Economic and most of the things that they talked about are already Zones Authority (SEZA) under the government and it happening. Maybe the unfortunate thing is that we have has identified Selebi Phikwe as a base metal hub, that all not yet taken them to the people because of restricted things that deal with base metals, be it copper and other movements but we will try and use technology to ensure things can take place there, whether they are smelted that people receive this information. or refined, or any activity that will add to that base metal hub. Francistown has been identified as a mining Honourable Saleshando talked about solar and just like logistics hub. Everything that has to do with mining, other Honourable Members, he pointed out that we can gold and copper that are found in Francistown and so see that the use of solar rooftop has started in some forth, that logistics will assist as we have a new bridge buildings, and that it would be better if they can extend at Kazungula which will be of service to everything that to government buildings. It is our aim and plan, and we will be coming from that side, things like soda ash. will take this issue to Cabinet so that as the Honourable Members have been talking about buildings, more The Honourable Member pointed out that Toteng mine especially schools and hospitals in remote areas and should not turn out like other mines. Yes, our aim is that villages that do not have ample amenities, we would be as you leave Toteng, in fact, starting from settlements able to do these things in that manner. The fascinating like Thakadu, Mowana all the way to Maun, Toteng thing about them is that excess electricity can be put in and Ghanzi, it is a copper district. So we do not want the grid, hence there will be a reward from BPC, which anything to disturb the development of mining and other is a company that deals with electricity issues. industries that will follow mining industry and so forth, beneficiation developments. We are doing that because So the other question that they can ask is why there is BPC has already connected electricity that will assist solar rooftop. You have to know that as there are many that area so that these mines do not experience shortage customers like this, there is domestic, commercial, of electricity. Any other industry that is springing up industrial and so forth. Everyone benefits where he or should not experience shortage of electricity. This she is positioned. So, those who are able to produce their project is already complete and it will be commissioned rooftop solar, be it at home or industries, we encourage in the coming months. them because all this will add on to supporting the national grid. I heard about the concerns that are there, that it seems like residents of that area do not benefit anything from The Honourable Member also talked about the issue the mining industries, not even to supply beef as you of Bamangwato Concessions Limited (BCL). I will alluded. I assure you that we already have a plan and try and sum up his point with other points which were negotiations with the mines and after Parliament raised by some Honourable Members, so that it is not like Kimberly whereby the city is called a ghost town. adjourns in April, I will go there in person so that we Honourable, that is our aim as we said yes, it might have can ensure that these things are implemented as we have taken long to find the liquidator. It is best to take one been negotiating that all those who applied to do small step at time so that it does not seem like you are doing businesses should be supported by the mine. I will go a test tube test. You should give it time; experts should there to make sure that indeed these mines buy from assess what they want to assess so that they can give us them. We do not want instances whereby after opening a a well-founded plan of what we are going to start with butchery, only 60 kilogrammes of beef will be purchased in order for us to carry on with that plan. from you.

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As I quickly go through them, we are in partnership with they are at an advanced stage. African Legal Support De Beers as you alluded and the 15 per cent that we are Facility (ALSF) is the transactional advisor on these getting is not small. So we are saying, even though that issues. It will assist us to structure its bills and do is the case, these are commercial arrangements in which agreements properly because some of the things are you cannot place all your eggs in one basket or in the imported but we would like to give that opportunity to hands of someone, you leave some for yourself so that Batswana. The reason why we are looking for a 50 per if things do not go well, you do not find yourself in a cent import mandate of Botswana Oil is that it is not situation whereby you invested everything that you had. operating on the retail space. So, it cannot compete with So, everything that happens at De Beers affect us, we anyone. There is no issue about that. So, we are saying benefit from it and we also play a part in it. Our people that if it is Botswana Oil, a Botswana company, we can even went there, I will not mention their names but they advise them not to buy from anyone except Batswana. relocated there and they are learning about synthetics Batswana will get trucks, that 300 figure mentioned, issues. They have already seen... (Interruptions)... they transporting Botswana Oil fuel. are giving us information about synthetics. So, those are the issues. Indigenous branded filling stations will also come out of this. That is why we want that import mandate. We completely agree with you; we are increasing diamond cutting and polishing because we have already Fuel pipeline; we are already working with countries been to France at the beginning of last year, 2020. We such as Namibia and Mozambique. We are looking at had a school that taught our children about cutting and that, proposals should be submitted which will bring polishing in Oodi. We want to bring back issues like those fuel pipelines into the country. I believe they will that. We are negotiating with H&A so that they can also augment the storage capacity that we have here. educate us and open schools that offer those services here in Botswana, in order to digitise and plan our Indeed, that is why we are partnering with the Ministry diamonds before they can be sold. of Agricultural Development and Food Security in terms of the Department of Agricultural Research MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Healy and and University of Botswana (UB) to commercialise Honourable Hikuama are requesting for clarification. these things. We also spoke at length when debating on the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, MR MOAGI: Honourable Chairperson should I not Science and Technology (MoTE) budget proposal on quickly go through them so that I can finish? commercialisation of research findings, that research MR CHAIRPERSON: It is your chance. should not just be conducted and end up on desks. So, we need to bring this up to the market so that the bio- MR MOAGI: Thank you. It is just like that. We have fuel project that we are proposing can be implemented. Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry and SEZA, These are opportunities for the private sector, youth we are looking at the multi-commodity centre to see companies and for Batswana. So the little we have need how our minerals can attract people here as we have to be distributed to the youth across the country to be been attracting them with diamonds. Yes, we can extend able to carry out these jobs. That is when you will see it to others that will be there; be it gold, harvests or our us engaging in Agro-Zambezi and do what is required. beef so that these things can be processed in Botswana and create employment opportunities for Batswana Technologies at Debswana; every company has a model hence we will achieve economic diversification. they want to use. Therefore, a high volume producer as Debswana, does not want to restrict to maybe mining Some Honourable Members went on to raise other large diamonds only. Debswana also recovers big issues; Honourable Manake, Honourable Thiite diamonds. They are not reporting on them because and others talked about fuel pipelines. Honourable they are not forced to, whereas Lucara must report as Members, these things are there and the private sector a listed company. That is why you see Lucara reporting is also encouraged to come up with them and implement its diamonds but large diamonds are also recovered at them in Botswana. Not everything is the responsibility Debswana. of the government. No, we encourage the private sector that fuel storages will be constructed through Public- Opportunities of agricultural diversification or tourism Private Partnerships (PPPs) as it is highlighted, and are most welcome. That is what we are saying that

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after we accrue profits from diamonds, some should be MR CHAIRPERSON: You can speak Honourable distributed throughout the country to see the available Minister. opportunities especially when we talk of food security. So I agree with such type of models. One of the plans HONOURABLE MEMBER: Which Minister? is to have Debswana model accrued or be used by MR CHAIRPERSON: The very right Honourable rationalised State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) so that we Minister holding the floor; Honourable Moagi. can go far. HONOURABLE MEMBER: Mr Chairperson, I want Honourable Members, mines affect farmers such as to seek for clarification, but I cannot raise my hand, it those in Medie and elsewhere. In everything, we must does not give me that option. consider what Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), management plan or social licence to operate said when MR CHAIRPERSON: Which means you have no they arrived in that area as a response to the challenges option. faced by the farmers or the community. So these are HONOURABLE MEMBER: So I cannot raise my some of the things that when we visit mines, we check clarification? This is very undemocratic. them and if they are not sticking to the agreement they made with people and the law, we tell them and take HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Laughter!)… them to task. Even Department of Mines, when they conduct their periodic inspections, they will be looking MR CHAIRPERSON: You were advised to go to chat. at these kind of issues. I do not know why you want to raise your hand.

Honourable Members, we spoke a lot about value …Silence… added activities. Even in the speech I spoke about the Botswana Ash (BotAsh) feasibility study which will HONOURABLE MEMBER: That is the end in September where they are looking at value chain disadvantage of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM)… activities, mostly potash, fertiliser, salt, things like that. MR CHAIRPERSON: Where is he…(Inaudible)… There is also review of the agreements which are there between the 50/50 shareholders to ensure that the stake HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Murmurs)… of Botswana remains intact. These are the things that we are doing. HONOURABLE MEMBER: Go to chat option.

Botswana Geoscience Institute has also done a lot. It MR CHAIRPERSON: Yes. has availed information free of charge on granites, HONOURABLE MEMBER: That is the result of the clays, the shales at Mogobane which are available. EVM that you want. This is how it is going to operate… Even the lumps on granite, these are the ones that you (Inaudible)… will find prospective licences applications which are geared towards this that those people can use this… MR MOAGI: Mr Chairperson, am I audible now? (Interruptions)…for some projects to be delivered. It is important that at the end of the day, they should be HONOURABLE MEMBER: Yes, you are audible, delivered. I know that Honourable Molebatsi decried proceed. projects that are not delivered…(Interruptions)…it is MR MOAGI: We have withdrawn those tenders to be just that the ones he mentioned are already working. allocated to Batswana. Gridline projects; one of the tenders at Bobonong has been awarded. Two by 50 megawatts (MW) adjudication Battery minerals, manganese that is surveyed at Otse is complete …(Interruptions)… and Kgwakgwe, that mine will be available very soon. That is where its value added activities will be MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Minister, you are to make batteries from manganese, cobalt which are lost. Honourable Moagi! there. Already research on vanadium site has also been …Silence… completed.

HONOURABLE MEMBER: Mr Chairperson, I Honourable Keo…(Interruptions)… personally cannot raise my hand here. ...(Interruptions)… So…

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...Silence... MR MOAGI: Mr Chairperson.

MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Minister! MR CHAIRPERSON: Yes sir.

MR MOAGI: …this is a company which has …Silence… wealthy investors that will help them to progress... (Interruptions)… technology from China with a MR MOAGI: Has the sound improved? market cap of over U$70 billion. These are things HONOURABLE MEMBER: You are now audible which will not...(Interruptions)…I indicated that we enough. are aware of housing, schooling…(Inaudible)… it was retrenchment…to find how the people at Phikwe can be HONOURABLE MEMBER: Say something, you are assisted. We also have Business Rescue Law which is audible. going to…(Inaudible)… It is a study which was once HONOURABLE MEMBER: Just move, leave the funded by this Government. We have been devising pictures alone. We can hear you. how can we grow industries around Phikwe in order to assist the industry so that they may move forward. Let HONOURABLE MEMBER: He wants voters to see the leaders also take action …(Inaudible)… assisted by him Honourable Lelatisitswe. Government. MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Moagi! The reason why there are some delays in our negotiations Honourable Moagi! is because we are prioritising some things. Unfortunately, HONOURABLE MEMBER: I will move for him Mr because of the confidentiality Clauses, I cannot reveal Chairperson. them here. Just like Honourable Saleshando said, yes, a time will come where the Legislature and other relevant HONOURABLE MEMBER: Are you taking over? stakeholders will determine things that we have to HONOURABLE MEMBER: The Fourth Industrial discuss. Revolution (4IR) is failing us.

Honourable Letsholathebe; yes, I agree with you on the HONOURABLE MEMBER: Mr Chairperson, is it issue of renewable energies. We have got so much solar possible to proceed with the next Minister, so that he can radiation, over 3 200 megajoules per m², wind speed be allowed to move when it is possible or tomorrow? starting from 5 …(Inaudible)… and so on and so forth. Those are the things that we consider and 17 per cent as MR CHAIRPERSON: Everything is possible... an initial target will be surpassed. I have got confidence HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Murmurs)… in that, I am not very concerned about it. Let me tell you …(Inaudible)… in Ghanzi like Honourable Thiite MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Kereng. has been saying, they were budgeted for Honourable MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL Members…(Inaudible)… RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND TOURISM HONOURABLE MEMBER: It is not working out. (MS KERENG): Thank you Mr Chairperson. I am also We can hardly hear anything. having some challenges this side, I hope it goes well. May I proceed Mr Chairperson? MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Minister, I think the problem is on that side, you are hardly audible. My MR CHAIRPERSON: No, I was checking if you are advice to you will be…(Inaudible)… move your budget, there. make sure that your full reply is typed and give it to MS KERENG: Yes, I am also having some challenges Honourable Members so that they can read and study but I hope it will work. I am here. it and when you get the opportunity, go on to Botswana Television (BTV) and tell Batswana what your ministry MR CHAIRPERSON: Oh! Just one minute. is intending to do for Batswana in relation to comments made by the Honourable Members in response to your HONOURABLE MEMBER: Mr Chairperson, since budget proposal. So, can you move Honourable Moagi. Minister Kereng’s ministry is close to Parliament, why do you not ask or invite her to come and present from …Silence… your…

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MR MOAGI: May I please finish my deliberation?

HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Murmurs)...

MR MOAGI: Allow me to finish please.

MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Moagi, we just want you to move your votes, just move. The rest you will have your papers …(Inaudible)… to give Honourable Members to read. Are we together?

MR MOAGI: Let me move Mr Chairperson.

MR CHAIRPERSON: Move!

…Silence…

HONOURABLE MEMBER: He has left.

HONOURABLE MEMBER: Mr Chairperson, he wrote on the chat that he moves.

HONOURABLE MEMBER: And that he votes ‘yes’.

MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Kereng?

MS KERENG: Yes, Mr Chairperson.

MR CHAIRPERSON: If you have problems where you are, you can move into the main committee room and give your presentation here.

MS KERENG: I am coming right away. Thank you Mr Chairperson.

MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Moagi!

HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Murmurs)....

MR MOAGI: Mr Chairperson, I do not know whether you can hear me.

MR CHAIRPERSON: I can hear you now, just leave your last paragraph and move your votes.

MR MOAGI: I have moved accordingly Mr Chairperson, that is what I said. Thank you sir.

MR CHAIRPERSON: Now we vote, make sure that we can see you, only Honourable Kereng will vote from here.

HONOURABLE MEMBER: I said I have a problem with my video Mr Chairperson.

MR CHAIRPERSON: No, but you respond when we call your name.

HONOURABLE MEMBER: You do not chat.

MR CHAIRPERSON: No, I do not chat, and I do not say.

HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Laughter!)...

36 Hansard No 201 Tuesday 16th March, 2021 ORGANISATION 1000 -MINISTRY OF MINERAL RESOURCES, GREEN TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY SECURITY: Committee of Supply (Resumed Debate)

CLERK:

MEMBER’S NAME AYE NO ABSTAIN ABSENT His Excellency Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi Honourable Kgotla Kenneth Autlwetse √ Honourable Mpho Balopi Honourable Yandani Boko Honourable Sam Justice Brooks √ Honourable Honest Buti Billy √ Honourable Dr Edwin Gorataone Dikoloti √ Honourable Dr Unity Dow √ Honourable Karabo Socraat Gare √ Honourable Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang √ Honourable Christian Greeff √ Honourable Kainangura Caterpillar Hikuama √ Honourable Liakat Kablay Honourable Kenny Kiniotiro Kapinga √ Honourable Goretetse Kekgonegile √ Honourable Dithapelo Lefoko Keorapetse √ Honourable Phildah Kereng √ Honourable Mmusi Kgafela Honourable Tshekedi Stanford Khama Honourable Dr Lemogang Kwape √ Honourable Leepetswe Lesedi √ Honourable Sethomo Lelatisitswe √ Honourable Aubrey Lesaso √ Honourable Dr Douglas Letsholathebe √ Honourable Thapelo Letsholo √ Honourable Friction Tshoganetso Leuwe √ Honourable Taolo Boipuso Lucas Honourable Polson Majaga √ Honourable Nnaniki Wilhelmina Tebogo √ Makwinja Honourable Beauty Manake √

Honourable Tumisang Mangwegape-Healy √ Honourable Mathoothe √ Honourable Dr Thapelo Matsheka √ Honourable Wynter Boipuso Mmolotsi √ Honourable Kagiso Thomas Mmusi √ Honourable Simon Nkosana Moabi √ Honourable Lefoko Maxwell Moagi √ Honourable Pono Pearson Patson Moatlhodi √ Honourable Setlhabelo Naser Modukanele √

Hansard No 201 37 Tuesday 16th March, 2021 ORGANISATION 2000 - MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND TOURISM Committee of Supply

Honourable Anna Maria Mokgethi √ Honourable Eric Mothibi Molale √ Honourable Fidelis Macdonald Molao √ Honourable Molebatsi Shimane Molebatsi √ Honourable Talita Monnakgotla √ Honourable Kabo Neale Sechele Morwaeng √ Honourable Mokwaledi Ignatius Moswaane √ Honourable Dumezweni Meshack Mthimkhulu √ Honourable Kefentse Mzwinila √ Honourable Kgoberego Nkawana √ Honourable Mabuse Mopati Pule √ Honourable Tumiso Macdonald Rakgare √ Honourable Onneetse Ramogapi √ Honourable Mephato Reatile √ Honourable Oabile Regoeng √ Honourable Dumelang Saleshando √ Honourable Thulagano Merafe Segokgo √ Honourable Peggy Serame √ Honourable Machana Ronald Shamukuni √ Honourable Johane Luther-Tine Thiite √ Honourable Dr Never Tshabang √ Honourable David Tshere √ His Honour Slumber Tsogwane √

HONOURABLE MEMBER: You did not call me.

CLERK:

Honourable Motsamai Gabantema Jelson Motsamai √ Honourable Palelo Keitseope Motaosane √

…Silence…

MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Members, the results of your voting; the Ayes-53, Absent-11 and no opposition. So, the Ayes have it.

Question put and agreed to. ORGANISATION 2000 - MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND TOURISM

MR CHAIRPERSON: Let us move on Honourable Members. Honourable Members, note that 2 hours 25 minutes has been allocated to this Organisation and I shall call upon the Honourable Minister to reply to the debates at 17:50 hours today and the question will be put at 16:05 tomorrow. Honourable Minister Honourable Kereng.

MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND TOURISM (MS KERENG): I thank you Mr Chairperson. Good afternoon Mr Chairperson and Honourable Members. I have the honour to present my ministry’s 2021/2022 Recurrent and Development Budget requests for consideration and approval by this Honourable Committee.

38 Hansard No 201 Tuesday 16th March, 2021 ORGANISATION 2000 - MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND TOURISM Committee of Supply

Let me start off by highlighting the budget performance income. Additionally, a robust roll-out marketing was for 2020/2021. Mr Chairperson, my ministry was done to promote domestic tourism. My ministry would allocated Nine Hundred and Thirty-Five Million, Eight like to thank Batswana for the uptake and we encourage Hundred and Fifty-Seven Thousand, Six Hundred and them to keep exploring Botswana and taking their space Seventy Pula (P935, 857, 670) for the financial year in the local market. comprising of One Hundred and Two Million, Seven Hundred Thousand Pula (P102, 700, 000) and Eight Mr Chairperson, training and stakeholder consultation Hundred and Thirty-Three Million, One Hundred and meetings could not be held as originally planned Fifty-Seven Thousand, Six Hundred and Seventy Pula due to movement and meeting restrictions owing to (P833, 157, 670) for the Development and Recurrent COVID-19. In order to address this challenge, my Budgets respectively. Out of the total of One Hundred ministry had to hold virtual meetings with relevant and Two Million, Seven Hundred Thousand Pula stakeholders. Although these meetings have become a (P102, 700, 000) for the Development Budget, a total new norm and are effective, they remain costly to the of Seventy-Six Million, Three Hundred and Thirty-Two conferencing industry. The roll-out of the COVID-19 Thousand, Nine Hundred and Forty-Three Pula and vaccine is expected to help us accelerate recovery of Nine Thebe (P76, 332, 943, 009) has been spent so far the tourism sector as movement restrictions both locally representing 74.3 per cent of the budget. and internationally are expected to ease out.

The Recurrent Budget on the other hand was allocated Human-Wildlife Conflict continues to be a challenge Eight Hundred and Thirty-Three Million, One Hundred to livelihoods of rural communities. A total of 5,668 and Fifty-Seven Thousand, Six Hundred and Seventy human-wildlife cases have so far been reported and an Pula (P833, 157, 670) out of which Six Hundred and amount of P19,154,255.50 disbursed in compensation Eighty-Five Million, Nine Hundred and Eighty-Two during the previous year. In an effort to address this Thousand, Five Hundred and Sixty Pula (P685, 982, challenge, my ministry has developed a Human-Wildlife 560) has been spent translating to 82 per cent of the Conflict Strategy. budget and it compares to the last year’s 11 per cent. Hunting quotas that were issued for 2020, were not Mr Chairperson, please allow me to take this opportunity utilised due to COVID-19 epidemic. The citizen quota to appraise the Committee on the policies, programmes was utilised although the hunting season was cut short and projects that my ministry is undertaking in due to the pandemic. Mr Chairperson, my ministry has pursuit of its mandate starting with the challenges and since rolled over the current quotas to 2021 hunting interventions that we experienced and embarked on the season allowing for communities living alongside previous year. My ministry has been hard hit by the wildlife to fully benefit from this resource and accrue COVID-19 pandemic, especially the tourism sector. revenues to improve their lives. According to the survey conducted by the Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO), there is a sharp decline The National Elephant Action Plan and strategy have of tourism numbers and losses of revenues estimated at been completed and it will assist in the management and over P6 billion and instant job losses. To minimise the control of elephants. It will also enhance human wildlife impact of COVID-19 pandemic, my ministry has been coexistence. A National Elephant Action Plan (NEAP) instrumental in lobbying for the support of the sector technical workshop was held in December 2019. The through tourism industry wage subsidies negotiated draft plan had been peer reviewed. An amount of P945 together with the loan facilities to the tourism sector 000.00 has been approved from Conservation Trust through interest free loans administered by the National Fund for the construction of cluster fencing for Matopi Development Bank (NDB). Community Trust as we continue to control movement of problem animals. Mr Chairperson, in order to help the recovery of the tourism sector, my ministry also facilitated the My ministry is faced with challenges that include the issuance of the tourism COVID-19 permits during the urgent need to maintain equipment to the required independence and President’s holidays that assisted standards such as meteorological equipment and non- operators with the much needed revenue. Hospitality availability of local companies that manufacture and facilities were also used as quarantines which assisted maintain such instruments. The prevailing situation those that availed their facilities to generate some means that the replacement of worn out parts becomes

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costly and takes long to procure. We are currently National Drought Management Plan importing experts to perform these duties and it is not convenient. So my ministry is in the process of Mr Chairperson, the National Drought Management negotiating with these external companies to build Plan has been completed and developed to address the capacity for locals to provide the service. socio-economic and environmental impacts of drought in Botswana. Furthermore, my ministry has been offering contracts to Climate Change Policy locals, especially young contractors and we have been experiencing problems regarding their capacity. We will In an effort to counter the negative impacts of climate continue to assist them to be able to meet the service change, my ministry has developed the National standards. Climate Change Policy which is awaiting consideration by this Honourable House. A National Climate Change COVID-19 budget cuts affected implementation of many Strategy and Action Plan has also been developed projects across the ministry. However, prioritisation, to operationalise the policy. The policy represents transfer of funding or virements were made to allow Botswana’s commitment to join the international progress of projects. community in stabilising greenhouse gases in the ACHIEVEMENTS atmosphere and building of resilience in the key economic sectors of this country, including agriculture. Tourism Information Licensing System (TOLIS) Tourism Policy In an effort to improve doing business in the licensing and revenue collection from licensed operators, my My ministry has completed the development of the draft ministry launched the Tourism Information Licensing Tourism Policy which also awaits Parliament approval. System (TOLIS) in January last year. The aim of the policy is to enhance the contribution of the tourism sector in the growth and development of The system offers a platform to apply for tourism Botswana. It will be achieved through different strategies licence and pay licence fees, penalties and training and on diversification and establishment of an enabling levy fees online. It generates reminders in the form of environment for tourism investment. My ministry has text messages (sms) in relation to due annual licence also entered into an agreement with the United Nations fees and training levy. This system is a testimony of World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) for capacity our realisation of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and building and they assist us in the development of the Transformational Agenda. National Tourism Master Plan.

Mr Chairperson, TOLIS was timely as it continues to Agro-Tourism enable operators to transact at the comfort of their offices and homes, thus minimising movements in accordance My ministry has revised the Agro-Tourism Guidelines with COVID-19 controls. Mr Chairperson, so far, 653 to promote utilisation of agricultural land for tourism companies have registered to use this TOLIS and 510 of purposes to diversify economic opportunities in their them are active. farm land. This revision Mr Chairperson also promotes citizen participation in the tourism industry. My Digital Museum ministry is currently translating these guidelines into In an effort to position Botswana as a destination of choice Setswana. The revision and launch of the guidelines and also to be relevant in the international stage, as well have increased interest in Agro-Tourism and we already as to grow tourism, my ministry is developing a Digital have seven licensed Agro-Tourism operators and Museum to facilitate access to the country’s heritage, expecting to license 15 that are already in operation in cultural and crafts to the public and the international this line of business. audience through virtual platforms. The virtual museum Development of Dams Tourism will provide an opportunity for Batswana artists to showcase their works to an international audience. The My ministry is continuing on its drive to promote contract for the museum was signed on June 2020 and citizen empowerment and active participation in the construction started in December of the same year, tourism industry, diversifying the tourism product and expected to be completed by December of 2021. enabling Batswana to take part or participate in the

40 Hansard No 201 Tuesday 16th March, 2021 ORGANISATION 2000 - MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND TOURISM Committee of Supply

sector. We have started implementation of the Dam’s Renovation of Ngoma Campsite has also been done. tourism where we have identified tourism sites around A business plan is being developed for the project, 12 Gaborone, Shashe, Letsibogo and Thune dams. The jobs will be created. The communities will benefit from identified tourism sites will be allocated to 70 per cent them. citizen owned companies and consortia and 30 per cent remaining will be competed for in the market. Development of Charcoal Production Project Charcoal Production Project in Kgalagadi utilising the The expression of interest (EOI) for the identified sites invasive crop called Sexanana or Prosopis plant, where in Gaborone, Shashe and Letsibogo Dams were closed they are producing charcoal for the market. 35 jobs will in December 2020 and they are expected to cumulatively be generated. generate 599 jobs and by end of May, we expect to have delivered them to the winning bidders. Guidelines for keeping animals at the lands

Moshupa Dam We have finalised these guidelines and we expect the guidelines to be launched in April of this year. In Moshupa Mr Chairperson, we are working with Itsoseng Community Trust assisting them to develop Implementation of the Kasane/Kazungula tourism activities around Moshupa Dam. Consultations Redevelopment Project have been done in this project, and will implement Mr Chairperson, my ministry is transforming various projects that will generate around 20 jobs. the settlements of Kasane and Kazungula into a tourism destination offering a high-quality range of Mmakgodumo Dam attractions and activities not primarily dependent In Mmakgodumo Dam as well, same thing, we are on wildlife. Three key activities underpinning this project include development of new tourism products, assisting the community to diversify activities around property relocations to release prime land for tourism, the dam, 30 jobs will be created and we expect this infrastructure and business development. project to be completed this year. Mr Chairperson, United Nations World Tourism Kgalagadi Heritage Trail was launched in Tsabong in Organisation (UNWTO) as a technical partner for February 2020. It highlights over 30 key cultural and product development and advisor on development of natural heritage sites that can be visited in the Kgalagadi these new sites is working with us to make this to come area as we diversify tourism around the country. My to pass. ministry will work with the local communities to host cultural villages, operate campsites and interpretation My ministry is also relocating some Government offices centres at these heritage sites. and private residential properties along the Chobe Riverfront and President Avenue to make investment Allocation of Campsites to Citizens land available for tourism. Environmental Assessment Bill has been passed by Parliament in September The ministry has identified 45 campsites in Khutse, last year. It is going to transform the way of doing Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) and Kgalagadi business cutting turnaround times for processing of Trans-Frontier Park for allocation to citizens and 100 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) applications per cent citizen owned companies and consortia. The and removing some of the hindrances including some expression of interest for the campsites have been of the major gaps. published and closed in February 2021, when we expect INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT POLICY to allocate them by May of the same year. Mr Chairperson, this is now awaiting consideration by Development of Motlhware Nature Reserve Parliament. We have just finalised it and will be discussed Another project in Motlhware that we have availed about in Parliament. This policy is geared towards creating a P3.5 million in Letlhakeng to assist the community to platform for integrated sustainable waste management operate a game reserve in the area expected to create or through adequate planning and resourcing, improving generate 15 jobs and will be completed by July 2021. waste regulation. It will also drive reduction, re-use and recycling thereby creating business opportunities and Renovation of Old Ngoma Campsite jobs.

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The Integrated Waste Management Bill associated STOCKHOLM CONVENTION ON PERSISTENT will facilitate the enforcements that are required to ORGANIC POLLUTANTS operationalise this policy. Mr Chairperson, we have identified 76 tonnes of ALLOCATION OF CONCESSIONS IN MOREMI electrical transformers containing toxic Poly Chlorinated GAME RESERVE Biphenyl (PCB’s) oils countrywide for destruction. These are intended for destruction with the purpose Mr Chairperson, my ministry has identified three sites to build a facility outside Botswana, thus protecting available for leasing to 100 per cent citizen owned Batswana from hazardous chemicals. companies, joint ventures around Khwai Flood plains, Karakao Island and Lone Tree. This allocation is Review of Park Fees Mr Chairperson, has been done awaiting approval of the Management and Operational and we expect the new fees to be launched in April. Guidelines. The Management Plan for Moremi Game DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ON AUTOMATED Reserve is also expected to identify additional sites for WATER QUALITY MONITORING allocation to Batswana. Mr Chairperson, my ministry has set up five automated RESOURCE MOBILISATION Water Quality Monitoring equipment in the Okavango and Chobe Rivers. They are helping us to track pollutants Mr Chairperson, the National Environment Fund (NEF) in these valuable water resources. was established with the core mandate of augmenting LAND DEGRADATION MONITORING AND existing environmental management initiatives. Let ASSESSMENT SYSTEM me move to indicating that this fund has funded 47 projects in the year totalling P39, 309,882 availed to our Mr Chairperson, my ministry in collaboration with communities in conservation. United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has embarked on a capacity building exercise to Mr Chairperson, my ministry is the process of assess and monitor land degradation across the country, developing a five-year National Environment Fund and to engage stakeholders and communities to restore this land. Strategy following the lapse of the previous strategy. It is anticipated that the strategy will be aligned to TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES Government priorities such as resource mobilisation for greater project funding, job creation, innovation, Mr Chairperson, we have identified new potential opportunities for tourism in Kgatleng, Kanye, livelihood improvement and inclusivity. According Kgalagadi (Middlepits), Nkange Area, Francistown to the strategy, we will set targets for participation in and Mogoditshane. This will be prioritised during the funded projects by disadvantaged groups as a deliberate consideration of funding through our different funding effort by the ministry to encourage them to partake mechanisms in the next year in environmental projects for improvement of their livelihoods. Conservation Trust Fund (CTF) on the BUDGET PROPOSALS FOR 2021/2022 other hand, has been disbursed to communities for Mr Chairperson, my ministry proposes a total budget development and conservation on problem animals like estimate amounting to One Billion, One Hundred and elephants and lions. My ministry has funded the Mokopi Eighty-Seven Million, One Hundred and Seventy Conservation Trust in Mokoboxane to develop a captive Thousand, Six Hundred and Ten Pula (P1,187,170,610). facility for lions through the funding that amounts to a The budget comprises of P339, 150,000 for the P1 million. This project will be launched in April 2021. Development Budget and P848, 020,610 for the Recurrent Budget. The Development Budget has EXPANSION OF THE AIR QUALITY increased by 69.7 per cent from last year, while the MONITORING NETWORK Recurrent Budget has increased by 2 per cent from the Mr Chairperson, this has been an achievement with 16 previous year. old stations. Seven for upgrading, where three are in Out of the proposed Recurrent Budget amounting to Gaborone, one in Tsabong, one in Francistown. We are P848, 020,610, P92, 949,560, representing 10.9 per cent in place monitoring the quality of our air. is earmarked for the Botswana Tourism Organisation.

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The Development Budget will go into broadening the ministries which only spend without considering those Tourism phase, basic infrastructure, computerisation as which make profit, eventually we are going to find well as environmental protection. ourselves in trouble. If we increase the budget of the two ministries I mentioned, we will be doing ourselves I therefore move Mr Chairperson that the sum of a huge favour to invest so that we have more output. Eight Hundred and Forty-Eight Million, and Twenty Others you know we cannot exist without proper Thousand, Six Hundred and Ten Pula (P848,020,610) health and so on but some are very worrisome like the under the Recurrent Budget for Head 2000 be approved Ministry of Education where its Development Budget is and stand part of the Schedule of Appropriation misappropriated yet we are called on to support it. I was (2021/2022) Bill, 2019 (No. 1 of 2021); and that the just citing an example on what should be done regarding sum of Three Hundred and Thirty-Nine Million, One this Ministry, and for what reasons. Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pula (P339, 150, 000) for Head 2000 in the Development Fund Estimates be Mr Chairperson, the Honourable Minister has covered a approved and stand part of those estimates. I thank you number of issues. In mentioning them, let me appreciate Mr Chairperson. the address of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) which was passed by this House and implemented right “EXCHANGE OF SPEAKERSHIP” away. Those are commendable efforts and it assists Batswana for their business ventures; be it tourism or MR CHAIRPERSON (MR PULE): Before I open the others because it no longer takes long to make an EIA floor for debate, let me try to respond to the question Report. That is something we should appreciate. Even that was put to me yesterday regarding the ruling that all the policies which are on the table, I am requesting I made about Honourable Minister Kgafela’s decision you Honourable Minister that since many years have not to move for the second time during his presentation. passed, you should pass them. Batswana will greatly We had a discussion with him this morning, and we also appreciate you for that because if I recall very well, had an opportunity to look at Standing Order 46, which human-wildlife conflicts and many others have not been indicates that the Minister was not out of order. What passed before Parliament. If I am not mistaken maybe we also proceeded on was not out of order, but we have two of your predecessors; former Honourable Mokaila agreed that we should adopt the normal practice that we and Honourable Khama, most of them could have been have had, that the Minister will move, then he finishes passed but they did not pass. Please push them to pass his presentation and then also move after responding to so that Batswana can be assisted through your Ministry debate. So that is what we are going to adopt for now, of Tourism. and we have further said probably we also have to Another issue worth mentioning is, in your next discuss it and find out from other Parliaments how they budget proposal, we should think tourism beyond and do it. So that if it is anything that has to be reviewed post COVID-19. If anything, just make a request in and looked at, then we should do that after consulting Parliament to go and build another airport at Maun in with other Parliaments. Without further ado, let me call Chanoga. Maun airport will remain as a mini airport of the first speaker who will be Honourable Majaga to take deltas. That is, people will fly directly without passing the floor. through South Africa to Maun. Kasane airport is better. There is need to build a hospital in Kasane. You can MR MAJAGA (NATA-GWETA): Thank you Mr liase with your sister Ministers of Transport and Health Chairperson for giving me the opportunity to comment so that those facilities become available in Kasane and on the Minister’s request. Mr Chairperson, I fully Maun so that we boost tourism to generate more income support Minister Kereng’s budget proposal however, to be able to develop this country. Our revenues have the funds are too minimal. Mr Chairperson, since it gone down because of the department of mines, some seems like I will only comment on this Ministry, I am taxes and so on. If you do that, you would have made going to be a bit out of order and say that I plead that our tourism not to appear as a sub because they pass this Ministry should have its budget increased. Next through South Africa. These are the things that you need time we should increase the budget of the Ministry of to act on. Agriculture and Honourable Moagi’s ministry. The reason being, these two ministries are responsible for You need to improve your working relations with the income generation in this country. If we keep allocating Ministry of Lands. Make a request where there are no

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issues and corruption, people should be employed in Something should be done about the four country border, the tourism sector, especially Batswana who are not a promotion should be done to show that history has engaged in it in large numbers. Consult your brother the been made for four countries to share a border. It should Minister of Lands Honourable Mzwinila so that people be there in the calendar like we did with Makgadikgadi who are not corrupt and are not being investigated can which was included in the World Heritage Sites. We also be given leases and concessions. In some instances, need to do something about this one too. you hear that they are being investigated. They should be quickly assisted for investors to help them. At Honourable Minister, like I said that funds are not Boteti, the youths have formed Rakops Trust. In my enough though there is a lot that you would have liked constituency too they have trusts and in Maun they have to do like boosting businesses which have been badly Makgobokgobo Youth Trust. The challenge is those affected by COVID, we should all assist you like you did trusts are not functional and we do not know what the in December requesting when you requested that local problem is. Those things need to be addressed. tourism should continue in April through to September. We encourage Batswana to appreciate their country and Hunting; there are some trusts in Nata-Gweta, such as try to assist others and not look at tourism from outside. Gotshetshaa, Nata Sanctuary. This time they should not That is something we should all assist you with looking remain behind. Elephants which causes a disturbance in at the fact that, by so doing we will be sustaining Bobirwa, Dr Never Tshabang; the side of Maitengwe, Batswana businesses in Maun and other areas. Kgalagadi and all these other areas cannot just be sold by the Whites while we fail to also auction with them. In your speech you said… We are capable. We can also assist our representatives to also sell their animals through auction. We would MR CHAIRPERSON: Your time is up Honourable not be bothering the Ministry of Basic Education in my Member. Honourable Healy. constituency. We could be building primary schools MR MANGWEGAPE-HEALY (GABORONE from auction sales made from elephants which trouble CENTRAL): Thank you Mr Chairperson and good us. afternoon. Honourable Minister, we thank you for the Sorry for not yielding, this is the only ministry I have presentation of your budget and let me comment on two the privilege of debating in. Moreover, I am very fierce or three points. Firstly, let me start by commending you these days, I might do something bad to someone. So, I on your facilitation during COVID 19 for tourism visas. do not want to be interrupted. Let me proceed. I am aware that your ministry was very hands-on, you reacted as soon as possible to circumstances as they I want hunting to continue in all areas so that Batswana changed from time to time. I commend you because can benefit if COVID abates. It can also help usto you have showed leadership in very, very difficult have ownership of problematic animals in our areas circumstances. such as Ngami, Maun, Chobe, Maitengwe and so on. So, it should not always be about those big companies Honourable Minister, in number 12 of your presentation, benefitting. you mentioned the challenges that you encounter as you Another issue that I want you to address though I know facilitate youth businesses. You mentioned that, you you are on it Honourable Minister, is that these big will keep nurturing and training them as far as capacity companies are in Namibia, Zimbabwe and Batswana and building is concerned. That is the right approach. When our youth have just started on tourism. There should be you deal with the youth as they are progressing, you a working relationship like we normally see with these have to be patient and give them the benefit of the doubt. big construction companies who have sub contracts. You have to nurture them so that you can empower them Tourism should also do the same and not allow these wherever there are shortcomings. If you do that, they are big companies to hog everything so that Batswana can going to give you credit for training and making them also manage to get in. Batswana should not be engaging to be successful. in boat businesses only which tomorrow it will be said I am referring to Tourism Licensing and Information they drown people and so on. In addition to the boating System (TOLIS) which you talked about. This is business, those other ones should ease the monopoly the step in the right direction Minister because going they are doing at Victoria Falls and other neighbouring forth, we are going to operate things digitally. You are countries. already ahead of other ministries technologically and I

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commend you for that Minister. Digital museum is one prioritise citizens. The indigenous Batswana were of them and I think this is way overdue. For example, excluded on issues of tourism, they usually get leftovers some of us who grew up in Gaborone, it was possible even though we know that in the value chain of tourism, for us to spend 20 years without visiting our museum these campsites are also leftovers but you are moving in in Gaborone but if you get a chance to go there, you the right direction. Let us sail higher and reach greater will find that nothing changed since 20 years ago. So heights where we have concessions like you talked when you go on a digital platform, it means things are about them when elaborating your speech. going to change from time to time. This is the step in the Honourable Minister, you talked about Motlhware right direction, Fourth Industrial Revolution like you Nature Reserve and Ngoma Community Trust in number mentioned that they are starting it in the right direction. 24 and 23. Honourable Minister, I thought to remind Minister, you talked about National Draught Management you that we also have Gaborone Game Reserve so you Plan in number 16. This is way overdue. We have to live have to consider us in Gaborone Central. When you with the knowledge of issues of climate change instead talk about community trusts in relation to an abandoned of treating them like emergencies. Patterns of things resource like that one, you must consider towns … the like El Nino and Lamina has indicated that issues of thing is, tourism activities do not only affect people in drought are going to trouble us from time to time. So rural areas, those of us who live in towns also want to it is necessary for us to have a management plan which participate. If you consider other countries like Kenya, entails our strategies to address issues of drought and they have things like …(inaudible)… parks. Gaborone times when we have plenty. I think it is a very good Game Reserve is small, if a person came to do something initiative. It is similar to number 17 of Climate Change in Gaborone and they seek a tourism site for leisure, you Policy. It is undeniable, the climate is changing and we can take them there so that they can see hyenas, lions must have a plan in the form of writing. We must not and leopards in a nearby area. They are going to tell only discuss them but have a written plan which seek others that they saw the Big Five in Botswana as they to address this thing. In the past, we were sure that we call them. Mr Chairperson, how much time do I have are going to harvest abundant maize and sorghum every left? year. Right now things have changed, they require us to find the kinds of crops to plough which corresponds MR CHAIRPERSON: You have three minutes. with our current times. MR MANGWEGAPE-HEALY: Okay. Number 28, Agro-tourism; this is way overdue. If you consider Kasane, Kazungula redevelopment; this is a welcome many countries, for example; Spain, they have a bull run initiative Minister. When you look at cities like Miami which is tourism anchored on agriculture. The United which are located next to water sources, you will find States of America (USA), especially in the south, there is that there is so much activities that go around that water. a common sport called bull riding. Since we train horses You will find that a lot of the prime areas are right on here and other things, those things are relevant. In value the water and this is the right thing. In that manner, we proposition, our cattle post concept, we are operating also require a redevelopment in Gaborone. If you look it in a particular way. So if you consider people from at Gaborone Main Mall, this is an area that is prime countries like Argentina, America, Brazil and other for redevelopment. This is an area which we have to countries, more especially cattle farmers, they might be consider when talking about Special Economic Zones interested in coming here as tourists to benchmark from (SEZs). It is clear that all out tourism sector is based on farmers here. This is way overdue; I thank you for that. natural resources or outdoor. So when the youth come to Gaborone with their parents, maybe they visit the Development of dam tourism, number 20; it is also way areas that we talked about for leisure. So consider urban overdue. If you can go to South Africa to visit areas like tourism in the form of nightclubs and entertainment. Pretoria or Johannesburg, we usually pass through an Please, I urge you to support me when we come up with area called Hartbeespoort. It is a luxury dam tourism the proposal to turn Gaborone Main Mall into a SEZ for town that is basically built around the dam. These kinds tourism Minister. of things are the way to go. I also commend you for that Minister. Integrated Waste Management; if you live in a city like some of us, waste is a big problem. So we are Number 23, allocation of campsite to citizens; Minister, pleased to note that you came up with Integrated Waste you are doing very very well in this direction, you Management Plan.

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Let me rush and talk about concessions which you than the ones I normally relay to her regarding the talked about in Moremi. This is way overdue, it is very suggestions on how to best improve our tourism. welcome, Batswana were unable to take part in tourism funds. They have been serving as employees, cooks, boat Let me start by highlighting that we are living in the drivers without having their own. Minister, let this be COVID-19 pandemic, when it first hit, we shut down your legacy that you have empowered Batswana in this businesses, there were retrenchments, and companies area, you have made them owners, not just spectators. were unable to pay employees because they were not operating. Wage subsidy was introduced as a measure National Environment Fund; Minister, this board, let us to assist companies to pay employees but I do not hear not see the usual suspects, let us see some new faces. the Minister mentioning it as an indication that they will Let us see the youth, people living with disabilities and assist businesses as they assisted them last time. This is women. Let us not see any of the faces that we have one of the concerns which I want to air and add that, we seen in any of other boards that we have Minister. will not concur. I would like her to review this initiative and assist the businesses affected by the effects of Air quality monitoring networks; Minister, we were COVID-19, more especially those in the tourism sector. here debating levy introduced on used cars. I am one of the members who say we should not introduce that levy. Mr Chairperson, let me applaud the Minister for issuing Instead, let us monitor to ensure that we do not import hunting quotas. We have not yet comprehended the used or worn out cars. We can decide to import cars benefits of hunting quotas. Let me give an example which are 10 years and below. The issue of air quality is about elephant hunting which was closed in 2014 and one of the contributing factors. Stockholm Convention even before, I am talking about the heydays of hunting talked about Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). in Botswana. There were value chains of hunting; Minister, you are saying you are going to send those companies which manufactured byproducts of elephants things outside of Botswana, transformers to protect us. and other animals killed. There was a company called No Minister, I differ with you, we are exporting jobs and Botswana Game Industries based at Francistown but money. Let us find a way of capacity building and doing ever since imposing the hunting ban, that company these things here because they are not really protecting closed. Let me provide an overview of this company; it is us. That is disadvantaging the citizens of this country. called Botswana Game Industries based in Francistown but it was closed after the hunting ban was imposed. Tourism opportunities Minister in number 44; I am going It had employed a lot of Batswana, there were some back to the issue of SEZs for Gaborone Main Mall and called taxidermists who preserved an animal’s body to Gaborone Game Reserve. If there are limited tourism portray it in a lifelike state and they could create any opportunities in Gaborone, I want you to relook at these animal. They crafted chairs and necklaces made out of issues and see what we can do within the city under your elephants’ by-products. They made a lot of decorations ministry under tourism. I thank you Mr Chairperson. from animal skins. After the hunting ban in Botswana, MR CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much Game Industries also closed as they had nothing to do Honourable Member. Honourable Reatile. and no source of raw materials.

…Silence… Right now we are here talking about issuing hunting quotas but we do not have a plan of what we are MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Reatile! going to do with the animals after hunting. It seems like the Minister is of the view that we are hunting for …Silence… subsistence. Hunting should be commercialised, we MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Nkawana! should be able to export products from animals to other countries. Minister you know very well that you cannot MR NKAWANA (SELEBI PHIKWE EAST): Thank export an elephant tusk. A question one might ask is, if you Mr Chairperson. Let me comment on the budget I buy an elephant from you as the Government, what proposal by the Minister of Environment, Natural am I going to do with its by-product, its tusks and skin? Resources, Conservation and Tourism. I support her So, in my own opinion I think we just rushed to inform but with such huge reservations, I will do so because Batswana that we have lifted the hunting ban but we do projects should be implemented. The budget allocation not have a plan about what we are going to do with its of this ministry is too little. I have even more concerns products.

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Hunting is more lucrative than photographic. I want to MR NKAWANA: The other problem Mr Chairperson compare spot hunting with photographic safari. What is, we were talking about forest range resources which we need to know is hunting is consumptive, we kill. I believe Batswana should be trained on the modern Photographic involves viewing the wildlife, that is all usages so that they can preserve them. Let us do that so therefore the returns are not equal, hunting has more Batswana are responsible of taking care of these things. returns. The returns are high and quick, according to laws in Botswana, the hunting season is allowed The Minister also talked about park entrance fees which for six or more months and in those six months there I believe she will not set the same amount as those of are millions and millions paid by hunters from other Okavango, which limit Batswana from entering as the countries. So Minister, revisit this programme to see prices are high. Minister, our prices should be affordable how prepared are we. Are we referring to hunting where thereby not limiting Batswana in terms of visiting our a person will shoot an elephant as an example and leave tourism sites. Right now we know that many Batswana there to rot? We want money from other countries which cannot tell you about Chobe because they cannot afford have a higher currency Mr Chairperson. the prices there, it is expensive.

Let me get to the other issue here of digital museums, If I have few minutes left Mr Chairperson, let me talk you talked about it Honourable Minister. At Selibe about animals like elephants which cause damages Phikwe, we want a museum which will showcase across Botswana. So let us not licence hunting when we our history at the SPEDU area. Selibe Phikwe is the are talking about animals that cause damages, let it be centre for SPEDU region so if we had set up a museum a separate package where people understand that these Bangwato, Babirwa and Batswapong can showcase ones are damaging their property. We should not include their historical ornaments. We can lure nations to visit them in the quota of those that we can export. and view their culture at that centre rather than having Mr Chairperson, I am concerned because you will to come to Gaborone more so that even in Gaborone, it realise that tourism businesses which are run by rich is not open to the public. We always hear that there is a people, are advertised in other countries but do not National Museum but we also want it at Selebi Phikwe appear anywhere in Botswana newspapers. and it should be open to the public, Batswana should visit us and pay a certain fee. MR CHAIRPERSON: Your time is up Honourable Nkawana. The Minister talked about Kasane-Kazungula Project, we agree that it should be developed but my major HIS HONOUR THE VICE PRESIDENT (MR concern is, you are going to ask people to relocate. I TSOGWANE): Thank you Mr Chairperson. Mr heard you say you have secured funds so you are Chairperson, I support the Minister for making efforts going to compensate people to move from that area even though we know that her budget is not sufficient but some people built beautiful houses. My question is, like it is the case with other ministries. I support her after you ask them to relocate, who are you going to very much for her proposal and the great ideas which accommodate in that area which you say is magnificent she came up with. for tourism. Why can you not help them develop the First and foremost, Mr Chairperson, let me take this area and form partnerships with those people because opportunity to acknowledge and send condolences to a that area belongs to them rather than asking them to certain family who lost their child at Boteti Constituency relocate? Why not come up with an initiative for people in Mosu village. This child was killed by an elephant last in that area to invite investors from outside to partner week. May their soul rest in peace, I send condolences with in order for them to develop that area so that they to their parents. can also benefit. We are driving to a situation where Let me also take this opportunity to appreciate the we have seized a good opportunity from Batswana and Minister’s presentation, the efforts from her ministry threw them into the pit so that our friends can benefit, to try to revive village trusts, to offer people assistance Batswana will remain in poverty. May I see the time Mr so that they create jobs for themselves as well as Chairperson. conserve our natural resources which are found in their MR CHAIRPERSON: You are left with 1 minute 45 environment just as it happened in Mokoboxane village. seconds. I really appreciate that. I mostly appreciate the fact

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that, she gave them a little funding but mining private those areas. Some of them have to be reduced so that companies like Lucara from Orapa and other Batswana other animals may run away from those areas. I really companies assisted us. Conservation Park from appreciate that you have given people permission to Mokoboxane is going to be a model which Batswana hunt. are going to benchmark on their different areas. We also have an organisation which focuses on animals. Moving on to her presentation, I would like to highlight In our constituency Boteti, we had some offices at to the Minister that she has a great job to do. You cannot Kumaga which were supposed to assist but they do not manage to do all your projects alone, just as you can have workers. So we want you to take action Minister, see that you are collaborating with other ministries. ensure that those offices are operating so that people can Therefore, if those ministries can fail to come up with be assisted on time because animals are going to cause policies which will facilitate your projects so that they damages if it takes long. If you can open those offices at may become a success as soon as possible, then it is Kumaga, they are going to assist us. really going to be difficult Minister. I am referring to the issue of climate change where you are collaborating with We appreciate Makgadikgadi fence which you have the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology started building nevertheless, ensure that what happened and Energy Security and Agricultural Development to the first one does not repeat itself. It was destroyed and Food Security. It is indeed very important for you by people who took away the solar panels and the to collaborate with these ministries on this issue, so assistance that you intended to offer failed. I believe they must speed up and come up with policies which you can work with farmers to see to it that this fence is are going to make your policy successful as soon as protected. This is going to assist us Minister because it possible. Work closely with the Ministry of Mineral is no longer going to be damaged. Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security Another thing is to ensure that Batswana venture into because it is in your interest for their policies to come so tourism businesses at the delta. People are worried that yours, climate change can be implemented. Minister because they find people who have licenses If they fail to come up with policies like National Energy which are supposed to have expired and they should have Policy, we are going to continue to have pollution of the left. There are those who operate without licenses at the environment even though you are making efforts to deal delta, companies which used to do businesses there. So with climate change to ensure that you live in a safe ensure that licenses are renewed, review big concessions and clean environment, you have clean air, clean water to find how you can divide these areas so that Batswana and other things. Indeed, you need those ministries. can also do their businesses. Do that process as soon as You need the Ministry of Agriculture to come up with possible so that Batswana may benefit. National Agricultural Development Policy as soon as possible. If they do that, Batswana are going to stand Minister, you must also take heed of conflicts which up for themselves against poverty and starvation. They sometimes arise between trusts, the nation and their are doing what is called smart agriculture and you really leadership. We are facing great challenges because of need them. You need National Transport Policy which these issues and people are not benefiting because of is required when talking about the environment. You are them. A case in point is regarding Khwai. I believe mostly depending on green climate technology which they could be progressing well, when their licenses are is going to deal with air pollution. I therefore urge you renewed. When people group themselves into various Minister to stand up for funds especially Green Climate groups, yet there is only one trust, try to be swift to Fund so that they can assist you. address those issues.

Moving on, I appreciate you for allowing people to hunt. You also need assistance from the Ministry of Land It is done because it is the intention of Domkrag which Management so that it also helps you to hasten those we promised to Batswana. With this hunting Minister, licenses, and renew those that need to be renewed. there are dangerous animals which are found in areas If that does not happen it would be disadvantaging where they are not supposed to be. So come up with a them, but you were doing a big thing that we should strategy to try to reduce these animals instead of using be commending you for, so that trusts would be able to hunting to serve that purpose. We have to target them, employ people and those people would work. We should everyone must know that they have to be driven from not lament forever because there are no jobs.

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Let me appreciate the fact that, like I was saying you The Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) is busy, needed other ministries, you need to ensure that there is because we know that most of the tourists who go to a renewable energy programme. So lean on it because Ngamiland, Moremi and Kasane, are retired elderly it is the one that can assist you in regard to the issue people. Since we know that the elderly are the most of climate change, that those who can collaborate with vulnerable group to COVID to a point of even losing you on this issues of solar energy should be seen to lives, it is not going to be easy to see those tourists be making progress. Otherwise, you cannot bear any coming back easily anytime soon. Even though there results with the Climate Change Policy if these other could be a vaccine, it is going to take time, and I request ones are trailing behind. that you should have marketing strategies because you are not going to have those elderly tourists coming in I would also like to say Honourable Minister, keep large numbers. trying; the funds are not enough. Some projects here and Coming to the one on wild animals Mr Chairperson, there will not be funded. You know that there are many in Mmadinare we are right in the centre of wildlife, lamentations; the destruction caused by wild animals particularly elephants. Ever since the largest dam in and people being paid on time is non-existent. These Botswana was built, the Dikgathong dam, and then are things we are aware of, but your effort is evident Letsibogo, this has invited many elephants to our areas Honourable Minister. You are new to this ministry and and this has changed the way we live. We are no longer to Parliament as well. You have done so much. I thank able to plough, even when it comes to rearing livestock, Mr Chairperson. we are afraid of going to our cattle posts. They are just MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Molebatsi and too many. Cattle posts like Mpazane and Mmatau, are would be followed by Honourable Reatile. not easy to visit. They have really altered our lives. So we are requesting that villages like Mmadinare, ASSISTANT MINISTER OF INVESTMENT, Robelela, Tshokwe, Damuchojenaa and Tobane should TRADE AND INDUSTRY (MR MOLEBATSI): I have trusts. This is what the whites would say, “we are thank you Mr Chairperson. Mr Chairperson, let me a wealth rich area but poverty stricken communities.” start by thanking the Minister, and I support her in These animals have impoverished us; we are no longer her request. I also appreciate the fact that, she is one able to practice arable farming. You should assist us of the Ministers whom, as a Member of Parliament to do trusts in those areas. Each trust should have its for Mmadinare, she is one person who has opened her own quota because life has changed. Maybe we should heart and listened because in Mmadinare we have many now have a quota for elephants in these villages, so that opportunities for tourism. It was the first time I said each village could generate an income by selling these something and it happened. I wish this could also apply elephants to make a livelihood. in other ministries. I am complaining because the unit in your ministry that is responsible for establishing trusts is very slow. We For the first time we saw permits being issued, or people have long tried to establish a trust in Tshokwe, Robelela were allowed to do an Expression of Interest (EOI) to and at Damochojenaa, but it is extremely sluggish. use the Letsibogo dam. I know the one for Dikgathong Maybe you should arise and assist us to establish trusts. is not yet out, but in any case a child starts walking step by step. I very much appreciate this. I would like to talk on a serious note; I am concerned because when we attend international conferences Our economy is relying very much on minerals and like Convention on International Trade in Endangered tourism. We know that COVID-19 has caused problems Species (CITES) you will find out that people who do for us, but Honourable Kereng’s Ministry arose and not have elephants in their countries, are the ones who started to market domestic tourism very much. Most of take decisions about our elephants. They bribe other us did not know our country but they advertised it and African counties to vote that we should not sell our they put up prices which as Batswana we could afford. elephants. I wanted to say if it were possible for us not People managed to go to Ngamiland, Moremi, and other to affiliate to these groups such as CTEs, let it be so. A places which we knew mostly it is the international country without a single elephant makes decisions on tourists who afforded to be there. People managed to go behalf of places like Mmadinare. Let us abandon this to the Moremi Gorge, touring. You did a great job and I diplomacy because they bribe other countries to vote appreciate that very much. against us, so we should pay close attention to that.

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Let me appreciate the Letsibogo and Shashe Recreational MR MOLEBATSI: In other ministries, we have Dam Tourism because it is fully functional. You promised challenges at Botswana Power Corporation (BPC). me last year when I said I request that something should Electricity is one thing that pulls us down when it comes be done about our dams, and we are seeing that indeed to Doing Business Index. If they could also pick up their something is happening. You have advertised for people pace, we were going to be seen as a far ahead country. to show Expression of Interest, we have identified the It is one brilliant thing that we appreciate Honourable. sites and you expect that exercise to create about 599 jobs, and by May this process will be done. I very much Honourable Member, I appreciate that you also talked appreciate this. This is one of the things that I will show about Agro Tourism Guidelines, that we are going to as a Member of Parliament that I am really on my feet, start to use our farms to run the tourism businesses. You we have created jobs through tourism, and I did this in mentioned that guidelines are there and they are about collaboration with you Honourable Minister Kereng. I to be launched and that they are going to be translated thank you very much. to Setswana language. I am grateful for that. It is such a brilliant initiative for us to use our farms to keep and There is another one regarding the location of a care for wildlife like impala in the farms which we concession at the Moremi Game Reserve. As we have are not able to plough due to the fact that, elephants just said that Batswana have been side-lined, as people cause damages. Batswana welcome this initiative back who can also take part in this industry. I know that there at our constituencies. We will encourage people to do was a certain regulation when these tenders were done. I that. With those words Mr Chairperson, I thank you. I do not know if it is still there, and it stated that, a tenant support you Honourable. Thank you. that operates from there, if you surpassed them, they MR CHAIRPERSON: Thank you Honourable would be told to request for your tender, to match you Minister. Honourable Reatile. so that they would be able to…that is to say it was so uncompetitive. It was something which was reserved …Silence… for people who were to stay there for a long time. MR CHAIRPERSON: If Honourable Reatile is not Your ministry is working hard, I heard you saying you here, Honourable Kapinga. have identified three sites at Moremi Game Reserve, …Silence… that is not enough. Batswana want to join this industry, so let these be increased. MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Kapinga!

I do realise that there are a number of things you have HONOURABLE MEMBER: Members of Opposition done regarding campsites; 100 per cent citizen owned have knocked off. companies are going to take part; that is very good. I MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Dr Tshabang. believe in empowering Batswana, and that is what I have come for in Parliament. If you do this, you are making DR TSHABANG (NKANGE): Thank you Mr me very happy. You are moving in the right direction. Chairperson. Honourable Minister, I also thank you for the request that you made before this Parliament. Firstly, Let me thank Parliament for the Environmental I will start with the issue of human/wildlife conflict and Impact Assessment (EIA) Bill, which was presented highlight that, it does not come as a shock. We are troubled in September, and it was passed. In November, the by elephants at some of our respective constituencies. President signed it. Hey! This is a very big step. You mentioned that you realised that there are elephants At our Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry there and that you have a strategy that you are going to put in is what we call doing business. That alone gives us a place as a way to manage human/wildlife conflicts. That few points that something which was an impediment or strategy is not clear as to how you are going to do it a hindrance for one to venture into business, is going because the situation right now is the same as back then to earn points for us, say maybe moving steps from when you were not at that ministry; wildlife population number 87 so that we go there. is growing and the damage that is caused by wildlife is increasing. We thought that as it has rained, animals MR CHAIRPERSON: Minister, you are left with two will go back but their population is still increasing. As minutes. we speak, they are getting into the ploughing fields. I

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believe that it is quite difficult to know the strategy that country. The situation is even worse at my constituency. you are intending to put in place so that we can also People’s small stock has been killed and baboons wake understand it and have a buy-in or to follow it. The way up to go to people’s fields. We are wondering how you things are, we do not clearly understand that strategy. are going to address this situation because you long told us that you are going to come up with a strategy. The second point is the issue of compensation for the damages caused by wildlife. You said that you Mr Chairperson, the other issue that I would like to bring are going to come up with a schedule of the revised to the Minister’s attention is the issue of harvesting compensation guidelines, so the time is now. In mopane worm. You know very well that Batswana September you mentioned that that schedule will be sustain themselves with mopane worm, especially at launched in December and in December you said at the our areas but there is an issue that they need permits beginning of this year. We are in March which means to harvest mopane worm. Honourable Minister, we are that the first quarter of the year is elapsing but we have not against the issue of permits but it raises concern not yet seen the revised schedule. We had high hopes because its guidelines are not clear. Mopane worm regarding that schedule because you mentioned that you prices have even gone up to an extent that the less are going to increase the number of animals which cause privileged people who should be sustaining themselves damages because warthogs, baboons and hyenas were by selling mophane worm to make profits end up having not included in that schedule. We are still waiting for to pay around P200.00 or more. It is no longer cheap. that revised schedule even up to date, so how long are It is expensive to an extent that mopane worm that you we going to wait for it? are going to harvest, sometimes does not even make P200.00 profits. We plead that you should assess this We also requested that you should increase the issue. Even the supervision of people who come from compensation so that we can gain something from other countries to go and harvest mopane worm should the huge damages that are caused by wildlife because be extensive because, people go there and they do not now it seems like you want to keep this wildlife in our have interest on preserving the environment, they do farms. So, it looks like compensation is too small. You not go there with portable toilets or anything that shows agreed that in the revised schedule, you will go and that they are there to harvest mopane worm cautiously. assess this issue but the time is now, wildlife continue They pollute the environment by leaving papers and to cause damages but compensation is still too little. other things that they would be using all over the place. When Wildlife officers are called to come and assess the I plead that that supervision should be thorough and that damages, they take a long time without coming. We are it should not appear as if they supervise themselves. crying out to you, may they please pull up their socks Some even go there to harvest mopane worm in our and assist us well on time. area without permits even though we do have permits. You will find that when other animals like a hyena I do not mean that mopane worm only belongs to us. attacks your livestock, you are told to keep the skin I believe that there should be clear guidelines for the of the animal that it killed there, but Wildlife officers supervision of harvesting of mopane. only go there after two months when there is no clear The other issue is tourism strategy. We know that in evidence as to whether the animal was attacked by a Botswana we have been promoting what is called, low lion, hyena or leopard. We pleaded that your turnaround volume high cost that you do not want low volume time should be quick. tourism but you also want high costs so that you can attract a lot of money. This strategy does not support Let me go back to one animal that causes damages. Batswana because we do not have a lot of money for us We requested that you should come up with a plan for to be able to book a hotel room for P15, 000.00 per night baboons. Baboons are not edible and they also do not at the delta. We plead that you should assess this issue have tourist value. We do not understand why you are and maybe adjust volumes by picking them up while protecting them, they reproduce and they are all over the lowering the prices. farms and their damages are immeasurable. It seems like they are even clever than people. Since you are saying This might be triggered by the fact that, companies that the strategy is there, we plead that it should be there which are operating at the delta are owned by foreign so that we can see how it is going to help us when it nationals. They manage them from outside Botswana comes to the issue of baboons which are all over this and they are using the European, American, and

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South African markets where the majority are wealthy MINISTER OF MINERAL RESOURCES, GREEN white people, who can save money and visit the delta. TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY SECURITY (MR Exchange rates favors them when they exchange Dollars MOAGI): Thank you Mr Chairperson. Let me thank to Pula. Maybe for them that 15,000 is nothing much Chief Whip for protecting me so that I can also debate on but to a Motswana, that is very steep and you need to this matter. Thank you Honourable Kereng for the way you made your presentation and I also rise to support consider that. I take it we want to encourage Batswana your ministry’s budget proposal. This is a ministry to tour so that they also contribute to generating income which falls under the same thematic group as mine since for tourism. During COVID when we stopped, wealthy we talk about minerals, natural resources and so forth. foreigners who are able to push… Therefore, there is a relation in these two ministries. I will not address many points but I will go into some MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Member, you have which I think need to change so that they can benefit us one minute, 43 seconds. the way they are supposed to. DR TSHABANG: Alright. So what we want is to at On eco-tourism, Ramotswa Constituency in particular least have a strategy to adjust so that Batswana can also has a lot of potential at Baratani, Segoro where there have an income. We have seen how COVID made the are mini falls. We also have Manyelanong, Rankepa, tourism industry suffer extensively without operations Metsimaswaana and other ones. We should consider and tourists. It has shown us that this time we have to that we are dealing with wild animals, minerals or any turn around by including Batswana in tourism. other natural things. We have communities that live in The last thing since there is no time, is the issue of land these areas. One thing which I have realised from the degradation. In your conservation strategy, you must Ministry of Minerals which you can also adopt is, we look into rivers where sand is mined excessively. Also should change the mindset where people come and take over from our beautiful fauna and flora and all we are consider what your strategy is on overgrazing in areas left with is working there. There is a quotation termed that we need to conserve because it seems the country ‘the fighting for relevance, creating shared value.’ It is is suffering because of land degradation. You should about striving for more and not being content with the have a strategy through climate change. Thank you Mr little that a wealthy investor gives us. They should earn Chairperson. their social licenses for living with us while we work because they would have generated income through our MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Dr Tshabang, let resources. We should all come in to assess and ensure us correct you. In Setswana, it is, dikobo dikhutshwane that the area is not damaged by the development that (meaning to be poor) not diatla dikhutshwane. will be done there. This can be achieved when the youth DR TSHABANG: I am translating from Ikalanga. in that area take over and form trusts and that is when we can work with them in what they will be doing. If we MR KABLAY: Procedure. Thank you sir. Mr want to do what is called syncromine, where we have Chairperson, you skipped Honourable Moagi who could cable cars which will be connecting people in different have debated before Honourable Molebatsi. places, the community must know where they stand to benefit. The two parties involved must be satisfied for MR CHAIRPERSON: I was informed Honourable this project to succeed in a sustainable way. If some are Whip, reliably from the Clerks’ table that Honourable not happy, they are going to try to destroy the chances Moagi is replaced by His Honour the Vice President, of the one who wants to do this project, and tourism that is what I was told. will fail, and everyone will fail which ultimately MR KABLAY: No, that is not true. means it will become a failed project. That is why I am encouraging you to assist us with policies that we can MR CHAIRPERSON: If that is the case, I will take it give to community organisations, the youth or trusts from you. Honourable Moagi! which will for instance develop the dam area and so on. As a community, we will be happy to receive funds from HONOURABLE MEMBER: Chief Whip, you have the one investing so that we will be able to continue with really costed. those developments.

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She spoke about dam tourism, it is very important buy the tusks and other parts, and produce things which because we have realised that during lockdowns have been mentioned by Honourable Members earlier when people were discouraged from gathering, they on. That way, they are going to benefit as a community visited dams such as Mogobane, Mathikithwane, from an animal which cause damages in their area. Rankepa, Metsimaswaana from different areas. This is They are also going to generate income which is going an indication that, there is potential for tourism there to develop their community. That is why I am saying, which can generate income and it should benefit the maybe individuals can be denied as we were invited to community. We should not have an investor coming to apply, but it was offered to the community... hoard the beauty in that place just because he managed to apply at the ministry. These are the things that I MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Minister, you have want us to work together in, we can also have projects 1 minute 35 seconds. which can generate income to assist the community MR MOAGI: Yes sir. In that manner, these things and Government to develop the village. If we have are going to assist. The major issue which farmers are speedboats and all those waterboarding sports, they complaining about is that, people are scrambling for could help in the development of the local community. animals at the farms and fences are damaged as a result. You have to assist us because there is a policy which You said you will be using digitalisation in some of your states that, if you find animals in your farm then they projects. Let us start using this technology for services belong to you for this reason, some people cut their which are already there. I will give you an example with fences so that they can take these animals so, you have a very simple transaction which is burdensome to the to help us to solve this issue. client. Human-wildlife conflict; if elephants damage your produce or property, an assessment is made and I appreciate the Environmental Impact Assessment compensation is proposed. When you are supposed to be (EIA) Act because it is also assisting with mining of compensated, you are asked to bring lease and Omang minerals so that we may process applications as soon to an office in Serowe for example. These documents as possible; this will enable us to provide people with can be send electronically via email anywhere you are. services well on time. I appreciate and support your Then they can credit your compensation through an budget proposal. Thank you Mr Chairperson. account number you sent. If we cannot use digitalisation MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Member of Chobe here and we are told to bring our Omang personally, you Honourable Minister Shamukuni. will find that sometimes you use more on transport than what you are getting in compensation. These are the ...Silence... simple things which will appeal to Motswana out there MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Shamukuni. who is still crying about the damage incurred because of these wild animals. Last time we were told that there is ...Silence... now no need to certify Omang. So, if you have certified MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Shamukuni, if he through a lawyer and there is a stamp and you scan and is not here I will call Honourable Kapinga. email, why should you have to take it there personally? Let us make things easy for Motswana to be able to be MR KAPINGA: Thank you very much Mr compensated on time. Chairperson...

I am grateful that you lifted the hunting ban which will HONOURABLE MEMBER: No Mr Chairperson, assist especially with those kinds of concessions. Let me you have to choose someone in our list if Honourable also highlight that, the quotas which were mentioned last Shamukuni is not here. time during campaigns, it is clear that big animals like elephants and others are not included. I believe these are HONOURABLE MEMBER: No, give us a chance some of the things which are still being assessed. When because we are also raising our hands in Parliament... we give ideas, some of the things that can happen is that, HONOURABLE MEMBER: Yes, it is our slot. the communities where these animals are found should benefit, they should apply as a community, whether as HONOURABLE MEMBER: Mr Chairperson, control a trust so that when they have defeated the elephant for the House, you should not be controlled by Honourable instance, they can sell it to rich people who can afford to Morwaeng.

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HONOURABLE MEMBER: No, it is our slot. Letlhakeng-Lephephe constituents Mr Chairperson. That is what I want us to talk about. HONOURABLE MEMBER: You cannot fight for that slot. Mr Chairperson should take control, that is what In 2017 Mr Chairperson, we were promised cultural we are saying. village in Diphuduhudu which is a Basarwa settlement. A plot was allocated to us so that we may built and MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Kablay, he would operate this cultural village. We were going to preserve then be followed by Honourable Kapinga if Honourable Basarwa culture there so that it may not disappear. In Shamukuni is not there. future, our future generations are going to go there to see MR KABLAY (LETLHAKENG-LEPHEPHE): the culture of their parents. They are going to discover Thank you Mr Chairperson. Thank you Minister. You the strategies that their parents used when hunting a are a very energetic Minister who is good at your work lion, the materials they used for their shelter, the utensils especially considering that you have been working in used for cooking and the kind of food that they ate. It this office for a year and two months. I have realised that is a forest which is rich in cultural practices that I am you are a very intelligent person, you are working like referring to. We also agreed that this plot is going to someone who has been doing this job for 10 years. If be developed by the Ministry of Tourism but up to date you approach her for official matters, she pays attention Mr Chairperson, nothing has been done. So I remind the to you as an Honourable Member Mr Chairperson. She Minister that, if by any chance you find that proposal also gives you advice concerning what can be done on your table, ensure that we proceed with it because to address that situation. Any leader who has those residents of Diphuduhudu have been waiting for it and qualities Mr Chairperson, is a very important person. must benefit from the treasures of their land. My constituents also love her very much, they say she Secondly Honourable, I thank you because you opened is ever smiling whenever she appears on television. a park in Letlhakeng so that we can keep our animals This shows that she loves people very much. Mr there. It is a great effort Mr Chairperson; tourist sites Chairperson, I encourage her to continue to serve the are being introduced in my constituency like I have nation of Botswana in that manner. been saying. We are going to keep some animals in that park and I request the Minister to give us some camels. …Silence… You must get them from Tsabong since we do not have MR KABLAY: Mr Chairperson, I mentioned last time camels in the Southern part. Those who want to see them that it will be the first time for Government to assist visit Tsabong and it is far. If we have them in our park in my constituency in terms of tourism. We did not have Letlhakeng we will be able to generate income as people tourist attraction sites in my Constituency, Letlhakeng- come to see them Mr Chairperson. That is our request Lephephe. So God blessed us this year sir. We have some sir and people must know that I requested to have them heritage sites in Letlhakeng-Lephephe. Mr Chairperson, in Letlhakeng so that we can ...(Inaudible)... I am talking about Lephephe Pan, Sojwe Pan and Lastly Mr Chairperson, I request that we must have Shadishadi Pan which store rain water. I once had a a museum in Letlhakeng. You know very well that discussion with the Minister and she sent some people Letlhakeng is a vast area, it covers Bakgalagadi. to assess these pans to find out what we can do with Bakgalagadi also deserve to have their history displayed them, let me remind the Minister that, my constituents so that their future generations can learn about their are waiting to get your response in terms of when this culture and how their parents used to live. So Mr process is going to commence. Since we are approving Chairperson, a museum should be constructed for us your budget proposal Minister, I believe you will go to to display cultural artefacts of the Bakgalagadi tribe so Lephephe, Sojwe and Shadishadi to find out how we can that the future generation as I was saying can learn their assist youth from that area to address this high rate of parents way of life and continue the legacy. unemployment, maybe they can get something to earn a living Mr Chairperson. This is the mandate of Domkrag Right now, others know and some do not but if we have which I am representing. During our campaigns, we all the information displayed, a person might enter and promised Batswana that if they can vote for us, we are read about the history or the old way of life of their going to improve their lives. I believe this thing is the parents and might even continue with the legacy. A beginning of simplifying and improving the lives of nation without culture is a lost nation so I implore the

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Minister to consider building a museum at Letlhakeng have long applied for so that they can venture into the in order to preserve the things I was referring to so that tourism business. I do not know what kind of Batswana our great grandchildren can learn about our livelihood. will be allocated those plots because, the indigenous Thank you Mr Chairperson. people of Okavango have been waiting, some since 2003 to be given an opportunity to participate in tourism, they MR KAPINGA (OKAVANGO): Thank you Mr have been taken from pillar to post until today. The last Chairperson for giving me this opportunity. I will talk one Minister, the revival of tourism. A lot of youth at about three issues only. First of all, let me indicate Okavango have lost jobs in this tourism industry. Their that people of Okavango love their environment and request is, as the Minister leading tourism, you will the wildlife God blessed them with. A few days back, ensure that their lives return back to normal by reviving when I held a meeting with them they said I should the tourism industry as we are about to start the new pass on the message Honourable Minister. It is a financial year of 2021/2022. I believe you have been straightforward message; they are not happy about given funds and opportunity to revitalise the tourism the levels of compensation they receive after wildlife industry and make it better than before, before the damaged their property or caused bodily damage or COVID-19 era. I do not know how much time is left Mr even death. Honourable Minister, it has long been Chairperson. announced that compensation rates are being reviewed so my expectation is, we will reach a time where you MR CHAIRPERSON: Thirty seconds. will now announce compensation rates which show that your Government actually values the lives of people co- MR KAPINGA: Okay, since there is only 30seconds existing with wildlife. As you encourage us to co-exist left Honourable Minister, I expect a lot from you. I with the wildlife which is a natural thing to do because support your budget allocation with the hope that you wildlife exists in our environment. will commit yourself to revive the lives of people of Okavango. Thank you Mr Chairperson. The other thing Minister, extend the assistance you give the Department of Wildlife in terms of offering them MR CHAIRPERSON: Honourable Members, before I resources they need to execute their duty. The anti- call upon the Minister let me tell you that the Speaker is poaching unit should be placed under the Department human, he makes mistakes therefore if he made one we of Wildlife so my expectation is, as their Minister you should advise him accordingly like the way Honourable will see how they can be given the necessary resources Kablay did, either through point of procedure or so that they can execute their duty. whatever point. Do not do like you did earlier. That is not procedural. The other thing Honourable Minister, I hope that as you heard there are other companies which have interest in Honourable Members, I now call upon the Honourable drilling oil at Okavango, as the Minister responsible Minister of Environment, Natural Resources for environment ensure that there is no project done Conservation and Tourism to reply to the debate. at Okavango which will damage our environment MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL especially considering that Okavango is listed as a RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND TOURISM world heritage site. Subject to correction, I think it is (MS KERENG): Thank you Mr Chairperson. Let me number 100 in the list. Honourable Minister, the most take this opportunity to express my gratitude for the important thing is, we do not want anything being done comments, advices, and everything the Honourable which will damage our delta like the one which was Members mentioned while responding to my request. I damaged at Nigeria. am very proud to accept all these things as they motivate Last point Minister, I implore you to talk to your me Mr Chairperson. I will respond to them point by counterpart who is the Minister of Lands, because I point but let me say I heard that you agree that the funds believe Trusts which your ministry is willing to assist are insufficient, on the other hand we believe we will with have long applied for land to do tourism business. use that little amount to undertake projects that we can Ministry of Land led by Honourable Mzwinila are possibly manage. We believe we will improve when dragging their feet, they refuse to allocate land to the financial situation improves. You realise there are Community Trusts, to Batswana, to indigenous people no funds but there are efforts because we are working of Okavango. They refuse to allocate them land they together to enhance the country’s economy. I thank you

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Honourable Members. You indicated that partnership we want to see local companies playing a larger role between ministries is important as you mentioned a in the tourism industry. Just imagine that if taxi men few like ministry of lands and agriculture, we highly were to be empowered for example transporting tourists recognise this including monitoring of programmes to from the airport to hotels and largely benefit from this ensure it bears fruits. I think these issues are broad. like you indicated with the boats so that there is citizen empowerment. These are ways which we also want to Let me start with Honourable Majaga. He expressed introduce so that we open for more citizen participation his gratitude regarding our efforts, we are also happy in the tourism industry. Budget is small, that is true about the way you usually alert us, asking questions Honourable Member. We shall continue to motivate although you sometimes do so angrily but as long as Batswana and revitalise domestic tourism which we you appreciate our efforts more especially regarding believe will close some gaps. It showed us that we can the concerns at your constituency of wildlife and so on. unearth new aspects which were uncommon in our You acknowledged that the Environmental Assessment country. Bill helped address the situation and there is a clear indication that it should be reviewed including all the Honourable Healy, we thank you for mentioning that policies. Honourable Members, let me indicate that, youth companies are a challenge, it is true. When we these policies are going to require us to pass them in advertised for the infrastructure projects, we invited Parliament including the Tourism Policy and Climate the youth to participate because we wanted to open Change Policy. Mr Chairperson, if necessary we should businesses for them in the ministry. We realised that the knock off late to pass them. When I assumed office poor people are unable to complete projects or there are there were still there but these are the policies which delays due to shortage of funds. So we are doing intense can assist us to speed up our processes. monitoring to ensure that we profile these youth owned companies and see their limitations and strengths. We You said we should consider tourism past the also trying to find ways to connect them with these big COVID-19 which is a difficult thing to do because we companies. do not know when it will end. Tourism Revival Strategy and Economic Transformation and Recovery Plan are Sometimes these youth owned companies can build but looking into how we can revive the economy post have no knowledge to manage tenders and contracts. COVID-19, that although it might still exist we should These are some of the aspects we want to invest in have the upper hand in terms of reviving tourism. to equip them with those skills so that they can meet targets, we are not giving up on them. It is clear that transport is vital. Indeed, if there is no accommodation or roads it becomes difficult to talk Tourism Licensing Information System (TOLIS) is a about tourism. system which assist us to speed up projects and reduce physical interactions during COVID-19. You expressed your gratitude towards hunting quotas; let me indicate that we will be monitoring Conservation Digital museum; my expectation is that this museum Trust Fund which all hunting proceeds are directed to so should have facilities which will offer a person in that it equips our people with skills to advertise to other Gaborone the opportunity to view the entire Botswana countries. in the museum. One should be able to view the culture of Bakgalagadi and even display food. There should During the year I assumed office, I visited Safari Club also be cultural villages where we will be able to discuss Convention and there was a long queue to auction those our traditions. If there are cultural villages, we will still elephants. As you say, it is indeed true there were no be feeding into the digital museum. Batswana who were able to say, “as this community, we have a trust so we are independent traders.” We made The Drought Management Plan will assist us to fight the a decision as a ministry to assist these trusts to sell, set negative effects of climate change sir. The policy will reserve price and engage with potential buyers from also help us in the same manner. outside. These are the things we are looking into. Agro-tourism is also a concern and as you alluded, You also indicated that big companies should empower I heard Honourable Healy asking us not to overlook local companies. Let me give an example about Chobe; Gaborone. Honourable, we have not overlooked it.

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Unfortunately, the time allocated to us is not enough to ADJOURNMENT mention a lot of these other programmes. When talking about tourism programmes in Gaborone, that game LEADER OF THE HOUSE (MR TSOGWANE): Mr reserve is included. We will construct a game reserve Speaker, I move that this House do now adjourn. Thank which will offer a lot of entertainment activities. you Mr Speaker.

There is also Gaborone Nursery, which we are already Question put and agreed to. planning to refurbish so that it can have hotels, The Assembly accordingly adjourned at 6:00 p.m. until restaurants and craft markets. We also have plans for Wednesday 17th March, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. Bonnington Farm.

Dam tourism; you appreciate that it has value and can generate revenue.

Camp sites as we open invitations to Batswana; you said we should not overlook Gaborone.

Kazungula redevelopment; these are welcome developments including redevelopments of Gaborone, when you talk about Main Mall, I have met with the Mayor of Gaborone City Council so that we discuss redevelopment of Gaborone as they also have plans. Our plan was to actually link all our programmes as ministries so that we can make a trail from University of Botswana (UB), Old Holiday Inn leading to the museum. It should also cover Government enclave. These are some of the things which are in our plans.

You acknowledged National Environmental Fund Honourable, creation of employment is important.

Honourable Nkawana, said I did not mention the wage subsidy but I did. I indicated that it was a programme which was introduced to reduce the effects of COVID-19 on employees and businesses. Perhaps your wish is that, we should continue to offer the wage subsidy but we are currently undertaking the transformational or Economic Recovery Plan through which we want to revive the economy, whether or not there is COVID-19, so that we can create permanent jobs because the wage subsidy is a temporary measure.

He said Botswana Game Industries (BGI) closed because of the hunting ban. When the hunting ban is lifted it means, businesses under this field will be revived. So I believe BGI will also re-open, in fact, when I talk about the convention which I once attended, I found out that…

MR SPEAKER: Order! Order! Honourable Members, it is now six o’clock, I shall now call upon the Leader of the House to move a Motion of adjournment.

MOTION

Hansard No 201 57 HANSARD RECORDERS Mr. T. Gaodumelwe, Mr T. Monakwe, Ms T. D. Kebonang HANSARD REPORTERS Mr M. Buti, Ms Z. Molemi, Mr J. Samunzala, Ms N. Selebogo, Ms A. Ramadi, Ms D. Thibedi, Ms G. Baotsi, Ms N. Mokoka

HANSARD EDITORS Ms K. Nyanga, Ms C. Chonga, Mr K. Goeme, Ms G. Phatedi, Ms B. Malokwane, Mr A. Mokopakgosi, Ms O. Nkatswe, Ms G. Lekopanye, Ms T. Mokhure, Ms B. Ratshipa HANSARD TRANSLATORS Ms B. Ntisetsang, Ms M. Sekao, Ms B. Mosinyi, Ms V. Nkwane, Ms N. Kerobale, Ms K. Motswakhumo, Ms T. Motsau, Ms O. Phesodi, Mr K. Setswe

LAYOUT DESIGNERS Mr B. B. Khumanego, Mr D. T. Batshegi, Mr K. Rebaisakae

58 Hansard No 201