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THE FIRST MEETING OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE TWELFTH PARLIAMENT THURSDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2020

ENGLISH VERSION HANSARD NO: 200 THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER The Hon. Phandu T. C. Skelemani PH, MP. DEPUTY SPEAKER The Hon. Mabuse M. Pule, MP. ( 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. ( South) - Administration

Hon. K. T. Mmusi, MP. (-) - 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. (-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. () - 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. () - Development

Hon. A. M. Mokgethi, MP. ( Bonnington North) - Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs Hon. Dr T. Matsheka, MP. () - 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. () - 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. ( -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. (-) - 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. ( 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 ( Democratic Party) Hon. L. Kablay, MP. (Government Whip) -Lephephe Hon. Dr U. Dow, MP. Specially Elected Hon. M. R. Reatile, MP. -Mabutsane Hon. P. Majaga, MP. Nata- 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. - Hon. O. Regoeng, MP. Molepolole North Hon. J. L. Thiite, MP. North OPPOSITION (Umbrella for Democratic Change) Hon. D. Saleshando, MP. (Leader of the Opposition) Maun West Hon. A. Lesaso, MP. (Acting Opposition Whip) Hon. D. L. Keorapetse, MP. Selebi Phikwe West Hon. Y. Boko, MP 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. P. P. P. Moatlhodi, MP. Hon. T. B. Lucas, MP. Hon. M. G. J. Motsamai, MP. Ghanzi South Hon. K. Nkawana, MP. Selebi Phikwe East Hon. O. Ramogapi, MP. Hon. Dr N. Tshabang, MP. Nkange Hon. D. Tshere, MP. Mahalapye West Hon. M. I. Moswaane, MP. Francistown West (Botswana Patriotic Front) Hon. T. S. Khama, MP. West Hon. L. Lesedi, MP. Serowe South Hon. B. Mathoothe, MP. Serowe North (Alliance for Progressives) Hon. W. B. Mmolotsi, MP. Francistown South TABLE OF CONTENTS THE FIRST MEETING OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE TWELFTH PARLIAMENT THURSDAY 26 NOVEMBER, 2020

CONTENTS PAGE (S)

SPEAKER’S REMARKS...... 1

Response To The President’s Speech Motion (Resumed Debate)...... 1-18, 26-51

Leader of The House’s Question Time...... 19-25 Thursday 26th November, 2020 RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH Motion (Resumed Debate)

Thursday 26th November, 2020 That was a distortion and deliberately misleading the nation, hence I request that she withdraws that statement THE ASSEMBLY met at 11:00 a.m. because when we talk about the rule of law, we imply (THE SPEAKER in the Chair) where you interfere with certain procedures. We did not interfere with any procedure and it is within our P R A Y E R S rights. There is what is called conscience of freedom and association. So if we have refused to get into the * * * * DIS Committee, it was not a disrespect...

SPEAKER’S REMARKS MR SPEAKER: Honourable Hikuama, can you put a MR SPEAKER (MR PULE): Pray be seated. finger on the point of order that you are standing on. Order! Order! Honourable Members, good morning What order has she violated? Honourable Members! Let us start the business of today MR HIKUAMA: Yes, that is the one. It is misleading with response to the President’s speech. I understand we to say being part of a rogue and deceptive structure like are not yet quorated Honourable Members. Can we ring DIS was a disrespect for the rule of law. It is out of order the bell? because we… …Silence… MR SPEAKER: I have heard you Honourable Member; MR SPEAKER: Honourable Members, I am worried I think I have heard you. about our observation of time. MR HIKUAMA: Allow me to finish Honourable RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT’S Speaker. We, as the Opposition, it was just a protest, we SPEECH were protesting against a rogue and deceptive structure, we were protesting against a bad law. Therefore, it is not Motion a disrespect for the rule of law.

(Resumed Debate) HONOURABLE MEMBER: Procedure Mr Speaker!

MR SPEAKER: Honourable Members, when the MR SPEAKER: Honourable Hikuama! House adjourned yesterday, Honourable Dr Dow, was on the floor. She was left with 23 minutes 9 seconds. HONOURABLE MEMBER: Procedure Mr Speaker!

DR DOW (SPECIALLY ELECTED): Thank you Mr MR SPEAKER: Honourable Balopi, please wait Speaker… a moment and let me react to this one first and try to attend to it. I was here during the debate and I do not HONOURABLE MEMBER: You were gossiping remember Dr Dow specifically accusing somebody. I about the Leader of the Opposition (LOO). thought she just spoke to the rule of law and how it is applied. She said if there is a law that has been put in MR HIKUAMA: On a point of order. Honourable place, we need to observe it and she gave your protest as Speaker, thank you. I am rising on a point of order, an example. For me I do not think she was out of order, which I could have done yesterday in line with what because she was making her own observation. So there was said by Honourable Dr Unity Dow. There are some is no way in which the Honourable Dr Dow has been out statements which she uttered which were misleading, so of order as far as I am concerned, there is no argument if they could be left like that, they could mislead the about it. Therefore, Dr Dow, can you go ahead with nation forever. I am not a lawyer, but I am a teacher, a your presentation. social activist and a politician in that order. It is on the point of rule of law, where she said the way we were HONOURABLE MEMBER: Procedure Mr Speaker! speaking or the Leader of the Opposition was violating HONOURABLE MEMBERS: Point of order Mr the rule of law, or he does not have respect for the rule Speaker! of law, if the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) or the Opposition refuses to be part of the Directorate of MR SPEAKER: Are you discussing my ruling Intelligence and Security Services (DISS) Committee. Honourable Member or are you coming up with a She said that shows lack of respect for the rule of law. different point of order?

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HONOURABLE MEMBER: It is just a procedure Mr The point I was making Mr Speaker, was that before Speaker. you can start a review process, which is a process not an event, there has to be debates, there has to be arguments HONOURABLE MEMBER: No, it is not a ruling. both within families, communities, and of course in the HONOURABLE MEMBER: Procedure Mr Speaker! nation at large. We do not review the Constitution for just the sake of reviewing, you look at what is the harm MR SPEAKER: I said we cut this thing here. that you want to prevent, what is the good that you want Honourable Dow, has not been out of order as far as I to promote and what are some of the issues that have am concerned. So let her continue her debate. been bubbling within the nation, that we believe deserve special discussion and address. I want to suggest that MINISTER OF EMPLOYMENT, LABOUR one of the issues that would definitely come to the fore, PRODUCTIVITY AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT or I believe has to be the death penalty. We all hold (MR BALOPI): On a point of procedure. Mr Speaker, different views on this. There has to be a debate as to I am very worried and I believe I am not the only one. whether or not Botswana when it looks around itself, The Honourable Members rise on points of order or ask herself whether they are in good company in terms procedure and are allowed to debate and bring in things of the country that is still hell-bent on promoting or that are unnecessary in reference to what they stood up holding onto the death penalty. We must understand on a point of order for. Mr Speaker, I kindly request that one of the reasons why the death penalty parole that you should start looking into this because all of us has not been struck down by our Court of Appeal as will soon start rising on points of procedure. The Leader inhumane treatment is because it is specifically saved of the Opposition, Honourable Saleshando, always talks within the Constitution. So, no court in this country can about this issue, saying we should desist from it and I strike it down because it is specifically saved. It was saved because it was inherited from independence. It believe he will continue telling those in his camp to not was specifically saved within the Constitution. I am not stand up on a point of order and debate. I thank you Mr saying it is going to go one way or the other but I am Speaker. saying, a debate has to start on that particular issue. I MR SPEAKER: You are quite right Honourable also often ask myself at a personal level, not at a party Balopi, because I see that happening on both sides of level, that personally, I am against death penalty. My the aisle, you all do that. It is not done by this one or the position is just the position of one person. There has to other, you all do that, and please let us stop doing that. be a debate within the nation as to where we are going with it. Often we are very emotive when we talk about LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION (MR this issue because we think a wrong has been done and SALESHANDO): On a point of Order. Thank you Mr therefore, a death must occur. I want to suggest to you, Speaker. I believe we have heard your ruling, and if I the death penalty is the only punishment where we do understand it, you are saying what Honourable Hikuama to the offender what they did to us. We do not hold you was saying is not how you understood Honourable Dow. down and rape you because you raped a child, we do not If Honourable Dow said not being part of the Committee do that. We do not break into your house and steal your is undermining the rule of law, then she is out of order, television because you stole somebody’s television, we but what you are saying is that that is not what she said. do not do that. It is something … So let us proceed with that understanding that that is not what she said. If she will confirm that that is what she HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification. said, we will demand that she withdraws that statement. DR DOW: I do not have time, I have eight points and DR DOW: Thank you Mr Speaker. The rule of law five minutes allocation each. demands that when you make a ruling, it is obeyed, it starts there. HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Murmurs)…

HONOURABLE MEMBERS: ...(Applause!)... DR DOW: The second issue has to be the dual citizenship; once again…Mr Speaker, there is a bit of DR DOW: Mr Speaker, when the time struck six noise. Once again, it is an issue that is going to benefit o’clock in the evening last night, I had just started the a few but the question is when we look at the pros and debate on Constitutional review. cons, is it something that we want to look at? One of

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the reasons why the Bill that came to Parliament two my suggestion and we need to look at that. Look at years ago was retracted was because there were certain education regions for example; there are 10 of them. Constitutional issues that arose and we have to debate How do you justify paying the same amount of money that. to a Director in Chobe or Director in Kgatleng or South East, treat him the same as a Director of Education in Mr Speaker, the third issue for me relates to electoral the region of Central, totally it does not make sense? reforms; I want to suggest two things; first of all, that it You need to really look into this and say how we can is time for us to actually infuse democracy into primary best manage this country by rationally and reasonably elections and also promote participation of all in primary carving it up in manageable sizes. elections. I think the average person does not want to be able to meet their candidate for the first time at the Mr Speaker, the fourth point I want to talk about is national elections, but they would like to have equal litigation by and against Government; that is civil participation of all persons including public servants. It litigation. is my suggestion. All parties who register to participate in elections should be forced by provision of law to If you were to look at any role of any Judge today, very democratise their primary elections, some countries do often 50 per cent of the cases are the Government suing that, some do not. its own people or the Government defending sues by its own people. I think there is something wrong with this The fourth point relates to the issue of reforms so that picture. We are creating pools of unhappy people for participation of women or gender parity has to be no reason at all. I would suggest that for us to address attained; whether more women or men can be addressed this issue, there has to be some kind of assessment at also by reforming the electoral system. Ministerial levels as to whether or not the committee decides this case should go to court or not. I remember Mr Speaker, lastly, I want to suggest that we need to start when I was at Education, there was a case of a clerk talking about defining what we mean as retirement for who had been unfairly transferred to another division. a Head of State. We are a small country, we only have It was obvious, the Minister believed it, the Permanent maybe four or five retired Head of States. Obviously, we Secretary (PS) believed it, everybody believed it but are learning how to handle this. I think we need to begin somehow the tradition is that if there is a dispute, it to ask ourselves, what do we expect of a retired Head must be sent to the Attorney General and when they of State? What resources of the State can they continue see, they must go to court. There is no facility for to use in their own political life beyond that? I am not saying, there should be a particular view but I am saying settling negotiations. There is no centre for settlement when you hear a view or an issue being debated a lot of disputes and therefore, this country is spending a lot whether for or against, we must know that there is an of money devoting Attorney General’s Chambers work issue and therefore, I think it is important to look into in suing its own citizens and also defending its own that. citizens. I think that should be addressed Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, the third issue I want to discuss is that, The fifth issue I want to address is criminal cases. I want to suggest that it is high time we reviewed the We heard yesterday from Honourable Mthimkhulu way in which this country has been carved up for and I agree with him about the independence of the administration. We have magisterial districts, police Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Mr Speaker, districts, tribal territories, constituencies, zones, I think there has been a tradition in this country that is education regions and now we even have COVID-19 gaining traction that must be reversed. In most countries regions. I think there is a need to rationalise that to best especially in white-collar crimes the sequence is this, manage this country. What are the key divisions that you get a report, you investigate and when you are we should have and therefore all the advances which sure you arrest and charge but in this case, it seems fall within those divisions? I really think that it does not like anybody can make any charge against anybody make sense for somebody who is in Dibete, who needs and immediately there is an arrest and charge and then medical health, an emergency, to be taken to Mahalapye there is an investigation. It cannot be like that, that when perhaps the clinic in Artesia could actually sequencing is wrong. You cannot arrest, charge and assist that. We are so divided into these divisions that then investigate. Whenever you hear a Prosecutor in sometimes I think it affects service delivery. That is court saying “my Lord, I seek an adjournment so that

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I can have additional order for further investigation,” birth certificate can only be corrected by the High Court you know there is a problem, to investigate what; That Order, but it has to be that poor woman, that poor man I am the one who stole? To investigate what; that I did who now has got a four-year old who is supposed to not steal what he said I stole? Investigate what? Once start school with the birth certificate, that he is a boy or you hear that, know that there is a problem especially she is a girl, or they were born on the 29th of February for white-collar crimes. Usually these can take two to when there is no 29th of February, these are errors that three years and when everybody thinks the investigation are in birth certificates. Now it is for the person to fix is dead but underground, there are investigations. You them. I think the ministry responsible must fix that, so let those people take their money. You let them talk on that the error is corrected by the state not at the expense the phone because you wiretap them legally for good of the individual. cause and over time, you build your case and therefore when you come in two years or three years’ time and On the same ministry, renunciation of citizenship. charge so and so with this particular evidence that is Mr Speaker, I think there should be an easier way to solid. In terms of our rules, once you charge, then you renounce your citizenship without having to go and have to turn over the evidence to the other side. So, you look for Israel, Japan or China. I may be a Chinese for are handing over evidence even before you conclude all I know, I do not know, I may be a citizen of Mars your investigations and that is where the problem is. because I do not know the laws of Mars, but I should Because we are sue-happy country and keen to accuse not be forced now to go to Mars to renounce there. I should be able to file a document in my country to say each other, the Directorate on Corruption and Economic if in the event that I have any other citizenship, I hereby Crime (DCEC) is always running over when somebody renounce it, and therefore, that should be the end of it. used a chair improperly, they investigate. In our clamor Now individuals have to go all over the place. It is a to basically deal with corruption, sometimes I think we cumbersome process. We have got people in their 80s ov0erreach. My suggestion is that, DPP should relax. and 70s now with problems of renunciation; you did They must just get their facts right before they rush to not renounce at 21, but in the meantime you have been court. I am not talking about a particular case, I am just given passports many times, repeatedly. So, I think that talking in general, that you do not get a report about should be dealt with. so and so today and then the following day you are charging them. That is not how it works, if we really Let me look very quickly at land. The thing about land is want to get results. that they say, God made the world in six days, and they say on the seventh day, he went and rested, but there is The sixth point I want to raise is access to justice. Here a problem, he never came back. really because it is a huge chunk as well, I want to talk about three things. First of all, is the management of HONOURABLE MEMBERS: ...(Laughter!)... estates. People die every day, in every corner of this country, but in terms of the management of deceased DR DOW: He never came back to work to make more estates, it is too centralized. Can we have Masters in land, so we are stuck with what God made in six days. every Magistrate to deal with that old man’s estate who Therefore, it is that which we are stuck with that we died last week, whose property may include a house in have to work with. Therefore, that is why often there Gaborone, one in Mahalapye, and therefore, the way we is this emotion towards land; ‘do not sell your land.’ are asking… is not easy. There are many people; even I do not think we can deal with that problem like that. 20 years later, estates have not been properly wound up, If we really think that there is a problem with the sale there are still disputes as to who owns this field, who of land, it is at the law and policy levels that we must owns this house because there is no access to the facility fix it. I cannot as a Minister, Member of Parliament, to make sure that we deal with that. Permanent Secretary or a Kgosi, stand in a Kgotla and say, “people, do not sell the land,” and then I go around The second one relates to correction of errors in birth to say, “madam, do you want to sell me your land,” certificates. It may well be because this is not the first because the law allows it. So I think we have to be very time I raise it; that it has been dealt with, if it is so, I clear so that people do not feel guilty when they are am sure the relevant Minister when they debate, will dealing with their land in terms of the law, procedures deal with this thing. I think it is just totally unfair that and policy. You get the developments on the land and across this country; the law is very clear, an error in a the land board consents. So, I think even as we want to

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advise people not to sell land, if we really think there is and people must be allowed to make these decisions a problem, it should be at the legislative and policy level guided by the principles of the exercise of discretionary that we must change this. powers without always thinking... It is paralyzing, anybody who has worked in Government knows that The last point I want to raise Mr Speaker, relates to good one of the reasons why decisions do not get taken is governance. I think often... because people are afraid to take decisions, because HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification, I want to only one little report to the Directorate on Corruption clearly understand the point about land. and Economic Crime (DCEC), there is going to be a case opened, and then the questioning ‘whether Avani DR DOW: I do not yield Mr Speaker; I now have seven was more expensive, is your cousin working at Avani?’ minutes left. As we say, we are against corruption which we should I think often when we talk about good governance, be, but we have to ...(Inaudible)… extent to which we we concentrate on three pillars; the rule of law which are allowing the Executive do the work of running the is an important pillar, moral integrity, transparency country within the ambit of the law, within following and participation, but we do not often talk about the laws and the policies and also those guidelines. I responsibility and accountability or effectiveness and think often we are unable to do that. efficiency. I want to suggest that one of the reasons that we are sliding down on our rankings is in the area of Finally, Mr Speaker, I want to look back in three responsibility and accountability. One of the reasons minutes to what I said when I started, and I would say for that; I was a Minister in Education for many years, it very loudly and boldly, the rule of law says that you I was a Minister in Foreign Affairs I think for two abide by the law. When you do not like it, you move for years. People are paralyzed by the fear of being thought it to be amended. When you are given authority by an corrupt; period! As a result, they do not act. Every error Act to act, it is a dereliction of duty not to act… that they may covert, is framed as corruption. When you MR TSHERE: Point of procedure. Thank you fail because... Honourable Speaker. I wanted to raise this procedure HONOURABLE MEMBER: ...(Inaudible)... earlier on because I think the Honourable Member is right to say the Leader of the Opposition has an DR DOW: It would be great. Thank you very much Mr obligation to obey the law, but she has to balance it with Speaker. the fact that he equally has a moral obligation to disobey the unjust law... When you are given the powers to make decisions, what you are doing is you exercise what you call discretionary MR SPEAKER: Honourable Tshere, did she talk about powers in a certain standard that you are supposed to the Leader of the Opposition? be following every day. Were you conflicted? Were you taking into consideration irrelevant facts? Were MR TSHERE: No, she is concluding with the same... you taking into consideration only relevant facts? Was MR SPEAKER: No, no, she did not say the Leader of there a rationality behind your decision? I can give the Opposition, she talked about the rule of law. You are you a very simple example. There was a decision that not really standing on the point... was made by some officer somewhere, whether or not we should be at Avani, Grand Palm, just for this MR TSHERE: Oh! Sorry, Honourable Speaker, I will particular event, or Pavilion, or in Mogoditshane; that not talk about the Leader of the Opposition. Okay, let is the exercise of discretionary powers. We cannot be us generalise it, if she is going to say, the citizenry has sitting on people all the time and suspecting corruption an obligation to obey the rule of law, fine, but she has because we are making it impossible for them to act. to balance it also with the fact that the same citizenry... They must ask themselves, they have to decide whether or not ambiance is more important than price, then they MR SPEAKER: She is not out of order. start making a decision on whether the conference is HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)… going to be held in Avani; maybe people coming from outside; is it easy to access or exit the city? These are MR SPEAKER: She is not out of procedure. Please decisions that had to be made all the time every day, Honourable Tshere, can you sit down.

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MR TSHERE: She is not balancing. consultation with the Speaker and the Leader of the Opposition and the composition shall make sure that MR SPEAKER: No! No! there is a balance in terms of the ruling party of the DR DOW: Mr Speaker… House,” the Leader of the Opposition has got no choice, absolutely no choice… HONOURABLE MEMBER: Point of order. HONOURABLE MEMBER: On a point of order Mr DR DOW: Thank you very much Mr Speaker… Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: Honourable Dow… DR DOW: When he took the oath of office, he was saying… ASSISTANT MINISTER OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS (MR LELATISITSWE): Point of order. HONOURABLE MEMBER: On a point of order. Thank you so much Mr Speaker. This House is the one which makes laws, I think the House would be out of DR DOW: I will obey the law. order if we keep allowing Members of Parliament to MR SPEAKER: Point of order Honourable Leader of think that it is alright if a person breaks the law… the Opposition.

HONOURABLE MEMBER: Like who? DR DOW: I will amend it when I do not like it anymore, MR LELATISITSWE: I never mentioned anyone’s but I will obey it. name. I am saying if a person violates the law why can MR SALESHANDO: Point of order. Mr Speaker, she he/she wait to… is now at a point we anticipated, she says we are refusing MR SPEAKER: Honourable Lelatisitswe what is out to obey the law, she is out of order. In Botswana, if you of order? fail to obey the law, you are charged. If at all we violated the law, why not charge us? That is number one. MR LELATISITSWE: Why can he not wait to take over Government… Number two, she knows that President Masisi assumed Government in 2018 so what does she say about him MR SPEAKER: No, what is out of order? There is breaking the law? If the law says, “shall appoint,” why nothing out of order. did he remember in 2020, did he not have a problem with it? So either she withdraws her words that I did not MR LELATISITSWE: No, Mr Speaker… obey the law because if I did not, I should be charged MR SPEAKER: Honourable Minister, can you sit and I am ready for those charges. Stop being cowards down and allow Honourable Unity Dow to go on. and avoiding issues, you are currently withdrawing them at court, for example Isaac Kgosi’s case… DR DOW: Thank you Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, let me just conclude on this point that churches around the MR SPEAKER: I think you have made your point country are very upset that only 50 people can go to Honourable Leader of the Opposition. church, but they have to obey... HONOURABLE MEMBER: Further point of order. HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)… MR SALESHANDO: Yes, I want to emphasise it. DR DOW: It is a 100 now, apparently. They cannot MR SPEAKER: You have made your point. have 110, 120 because they are upset with the law or they are protesting, they cannot do that. The Judge of HONOURABLE MEMBER: Further point of order. the High Court who is appointed to adjudicate in cases must sit and adjudicate, they cannot say, “you know MR SALESHANDO: She is out of order and she must what, I am against this principle or whatever”, they must withdraw. adjudicate. The same way when an Act of Parliament HONOURABLE MEMBER: Further point of order or this House here says, “a Parliamentary Committee Mr Speaker. on Intelligence shall be established and shall have nine members who shall be appointed by the President in MR SPEAKER: Honourable…

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DR DOW: Thank you Mr Speaker… MR KEORAPETSE: What did she say?

MR SPEAKER: Honourable Unity Dow. HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)…

DR DOW: Yes sir. MR KEORAPETSE: Nothing! She cannot impute an improper motive on us by saying that we have disobeyed MR SPEAKER: Did you say the Honourable Leader of the law. The message being put out there is that we the Opposition has broken the law? If you did, can you disobeyed the law. We did not. An unjust law is no law. please withdraw the words. DR DOW: Thank you Mr Speaker… DR DOW: Mr Speaker… MR SPEAKER: Sorry, Honourable Unity Dow. I have HONOURABLE MEMBER: Withdraw. a little problem, that is why I was asking Honourable DR DOW: Withdraw what? Unity Dow if she did specifically say somebody on the other side of the aisle has broken the law. I thought she MR SPEAKER: Did you say he broke the law? was making her observation, statement or an opinion, that if somebody… DR DOW: Who? HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)… MR SPEAKER: Honourable Saleshando. MR SPEAKER: I think that is what she said. What she DR DOW: You can call for the Hansard Mr Speaker. said is that if there is law that says you should do 1, 2, I think we are confusing things here. First of all, I 3, 4 things and you do not do that, then as far as she is can stand here and offer an opinion about the law on concerned, in her opinion, you are not complying with anything and if you do not like my opinion, then you that particular provision... just have to …(Inaudible)…it. HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Murmurs)… HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Applause!)… MR SPEAKER: I did not hear her saying somebody DR DOW: You do not stand and say because you has broken the law. disagree with me, therefore it is a point of order, it is not. HONOURABLE MEMBER: On a further point of order. HONOURABLE MEMBER: No, point of order Mr Speaker. MR SPEAKER: Can you allow Honourable Unity Dow to continue. DR DOW: It is not! It is not. I can… HONOURABLE MEMBER: On a further point of HONOURABLE MEMBER: Point of order. order Mr Speaker.

MR KEORAPETSE: Point of order. Mr Speaker, we DR DOW: Mr Speaker, thank you very much. obviously do not care about her opinions on… MR SALESHANDO: Further point of order. Do you HONOURABLE MEMBER: Not at all. know Standing Orders which state that you cannot impute improper motives… MR KEORAPETSE: …not at all, we do not care. What we care about is imputing improper motive, HONOURABLE MEMBER: By implication or… suggesting that we have disobeyed the law by not participating in the Directorate of Intelligence and MR SALESHANDO: Her point is, as the Leader Security (DIS) Committee, that is where we have a of the Opposition and my associates, we are refusing problem. Honourable Dow had absolutely no problem to obey the law. If you fail to obey the law, there are when the Law Society stated unequivocally that they charges laid against you. Mr Speaker, there is no need were not going to participate in the Media Practitioners for you to say whether you heard. You know this thing Act. where the Deputy Speaker wants to be on the Botswana Democratic Party’s side sometimes, it will not work for HONOURABLE MEMBER: Yes! us.

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HONOURABLE MEMBER: No, no! she says she never made any accusatory statement against you. I think the ruling that I am going to make MR SALESHANDO: You clearly heard her, you do is to say let us call for the Hansard and then read it to not have to say to her, “did you say that,” you heard find out whether she said this. If we ever find it in the her. She says I refused to obey the law. So I am saying Hansard, then she is going to be requested to withdraw she should withdraw because Standing Orders do not the statement. allow her to go around imputting improper motives on someone this side by saying they refused to obey the HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Murmurs)… law. If I failed to obey the law, they should bring the charges. DR DOW: Thank you sir.

MR SPEAKER: Honourable Leader of the Opposition, MR SPEAKER: Keep the floor. you know that this House respects you and I also respect DR DOW: Let me conclude in my 25 seconds. If the you. I cannot say I have heard her specifically directly law states that you should walk on one foot, you do, pointing a finger at you saying that you have broken if you refuse then you go to court to challenge if it is the law. I am correct to say I probably interpreted her Constitutional. If you say, no it is not fair to walk on one statement differently, but I did not hear her saying you foot I am going to walk on two. It is quite clear, if the have specifically broken the law. She said if someone law says sit on a Parliamentary Committee, you do, if has some law that he has to comply with but does not, you protest you are wrong, right? Yes, thank you. then she takes that person as somebody who has broken the law because it is written. She even further said if HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Applause!)… you are not happy with the law, because from what my learned friend Honourable Keorapetse is saying is that, …Silence… it is an unjust law, you need to come to Parliament and MR SPEAKER: Honourable Mmusi Kgafela, can you cause for its amendment. If she ever said you did it, then sit down first. I have made a ruling that we look for the I will request her to withdraw the statement. Hansard, but of course as you know there might be a HONOURABLE MEMBER: She said so. bit of delay. Can I request the House maybe to allow us to get the Hansard when it is ready and then give you DR DOW: Mr Speaker, two issues. First of all, I will feedback tomorrow? ask you to call for the Hansard on what I have said. Secondly, it is on record from yesterday they said we MR HIKUAMA: Procedure. Mr Speaker, I want are protesting we are not sitting. Someone even gave an to ask something, just that a devoted Christian like example citing the apartheid law that side, that they are Dr Matsheka, and then you say he should join an protesting. I do not know that if the law says you must organisation of wizards; a brotherhood of wizards… sit then you refuse are you obeying it in some other way unknown to us? MR SPEAKER: Honourable Hikuama! What are you doing? Honourable Mmusi Kgafela. HONOURABLE MEMBER: Point of order. HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Interruptions!)… DR DOW: The law states that there will be a committee… MINISTER OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT (MR KGAFELA): HONOURABLE MEMBER: Point of order Mr Thank you Mr Speaker… Speaker. HONOURABLE MEMBERS: Point of order. MR SPEAKER: Honourable Dr Dow… MR SPEAKER: Who said point of order, I cannot see DR DOW: You will sit on it; you said you cannot sit you. Raise your hand. on it… MINISTER OF YOUTH EMPOWERMENT, MR SPEAKER: Can you sit down Honourable Dr SPORT AND CULTURE DEVELOPMENT (MR Dow. Let me make a ruling. I think it is going to be a RAKGARE): Point of order. Thank you very much ping-pong between you and Honourable Dow because Mr Speaker. Sometimes I have a problem Mr Speaker

8 Hansard No 200 Thursday 26th November, 2020 RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH Motion (Resumed Debate)

with you allowing people to say inappropriate things before us. Let me also take this time to contribute my and you do not rebuke them. I do not think it is okay bit and let me add that I am wearing two hats; the one for the Honourable Member here, and there he is going for Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development outside... and also Member of Parliament for Mochudi West. I will try to cover the two hats in the time I have been MR SPEAKER: Honourable Rakgare! I am going to given, even though it is short. stop you there. I heard the President speak here, confirming that it is MR RAKGARE: …and then you allow him to say the Government’s effort and desire that, this issue of words like wizards… health should be looked into to ensure that Batswana MR SPEAKER: Honourable Rakgare! Can I stop you get health services. I am happy for those words. And there? I have made a ruling and have stopped him from I believe I will not be doing Bakgatla any justice and talking, so you cannot accuse me. What you are saying those who chose Kgatleng as their home because I am is that, I am the one who is out of order. serving them, also the Opposition in Kgatleng, at the moment I am working with them freely, they are serving MR RAKGARE: No, but Mr Speaker, you cannot… me and they are serving Bakgatla. Let us address this issue of the hospital. When we got into the National MR SPEAKER: Honourable Rakgare! Can you sit Development Plan (NDP) 11, it was realised that down please? Deborah Retief Memorial (DRM) Hospital was outdated MR RAKGARE: You cannot allow people to call us and it needed to be built afresh, because it is really old. wizards… First of all it was built on a hill, so, many people who are living with disabilities cannot access it. Land was MR SPEAKER: Honourable Rakgare! Can you sit found, and plans were drawn to build this hospital. It down please? was on National Development Plan (NDP) 11, it was indicated that it will cost P410 million and it was going MR RAKGARE: It is wrong! to be built during the NDP 11 phase beginning from MR KGAFELA: Thank you Mr Speaker. Before I 2017 to 2023. There were even targets that were set on begin, let me ask you to protect me Mr Speaker, because how it was going to be built, in phases. In the financial I have realised that as we continue with Parliament year of 2017/2018, P40 million was to be invested to debates, Honourable Members keep on standing up start the project. And in the period of 2018/2019, P50 frequently saying, a particular Member of Parliament million was to be invested; 2019/2020 another P50 is out of order or procedure. Let me just request that million was to be invested; 2020/2021 we would invest it is important that when the procedure is challenged, P90 million; 2021/2022 another P90 million would be whoever is challenging it should read Standing Orders. invested. Then when it comes to an end in 2022/2023, He or she should indicate which procedure was not it will be completed with another P90 million. We are observed. If he or she says, it is out of order, they should carrying burdens on our shoulders because nothing was indicate where it falls under the provisions of Standing done among those things, since 2017. When we got into Orders when he or she stands up to indicate that the the Mid-Term Review of NDP 11, it was evident that person he or she standing up against on a point of order we have even been excluded from the plans that will be is indeed out of order. Mr Speaker, if we are not aware made until NDP 11 comes to an end. The Honourable of this, we will find ourselves in a situation whereby Minister of Finance and Economic Development stood when an Honourable Member does not agree with you, before us and gave us a speech, explaining that moving they will now stand up and say, you are out of order. on due to COVID-19 reasons, we will have to do It is my first time to see a situation whereby when an projects that are transformational, because there is no Honourable Member debates and does not agree with money. I assure you this has overwhelmed Bakgatla, it you he or she now says you are out of order, there is has hurt them a lot. nothing out of order with that. One of the things that we lost as a consequence of not Mr Speaker, I am listening to the debates from both building this hospital anymore is that, even Botswana sides. Let me thank all the Honourable Members for their Housing Corporation (BHC) has purchased land from respective contributions in this speech the President laid Bakgatla at Pilane. The reason for that was because they

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heard that a hospital was going to be built. Then they HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)… had the believe that if they develop this land and it is not far from where the hospital was to be built, they will MR MOATLHODI: Yes the one in Serowe; Sekgoma benefit from the services that were going to be brought to is in Serowe Honourable Member. Sekgoma Memorial the hospital, things like sewage drainage systems and so Hospital has just been renovated. It is a side-remark on. They were going to rely on these developments and that I should not have responded to, but I wanted him ensure that now they were going to develop this land. to be sure I am a citizen of this country; I know what is The interruption of this hospital project Mr Speaker, has happening in this country. also stopped the BHC project. I just wanted to indicate The Deborah Retief Memorial hospital, in your area consequences, the cumulative effect of it, the kind of Mokgatla, how would it be if it could fall in that category development it has deprived Bakgatla. in the meantime whilst we still do not have sufficient As politicians, as servants, we are not sent here to funds; and have it renovated the way the Mahalapye request resources from the Government only, but we hospital and others were done, so that the people could were also sent here to come up with solutions when there use it? is a problem. As I explained that I thank all those I am MR KGAFELA: It is a good idea Honourable Member. working with at Mochudi and Opposition Councilors, I am glad because the Assistant Minister of Health, because we collaborate on these projects. We are in a Honourable Lelatisitswe visited the hospital recently to hurry Mr Speaker to find people with deep pockets to appreciate the challenges we are talking about. These come and assist us, to ensure that we implement some of are things we are dialoguing about to say even if the these developments through Public Private Partnerships funds to build a new one are not there, as we have been (PPPs), which is what the Government is currently informed by the Government, but the renovations should encouraging us to get involved in. They are welcoming be done so that the hospital could continue providing me, even those in the opposition. They do embrace me services. and we sit down and dialogue, together with others. Let me explain that those who have the monetary powers, It is not the only one, we have the Makgopana clinic after assisting us, they would like to have a bit of profit which the President talked about, it is the one that I am from their expenditure. One of the things that come up sceptical about, that it is not yet done up to now; we had frequently when we dialogue is that they make requests hoped it would assist to provide medical services. Even and they say, “even if you can pay us after twenty years the contractor pointed out that COVID -19 delayed him or thirty, even if we can get what we have lost after those somehow, but we have given a warning that COVID-19 years, what we are requesting is that your Government should not be used as an excuse for everything, even should ensure that we are going to benefit.” That is what we have been discussing. I am just comforting my when we failed to deliver projects on time. We are facing fellow Minster, the Minister of Finance and I am saying such challenges in the medical fraternity in Mochudi. to him wait a moment, let us find a way in which we can Let me now talk about the Malotwane road. I am glad agree with investors so that they can be satisfied that the Cabinet met in Malotwane this past Monday and they would make profit. that road wreaked havoc on their vehicles, including the HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification. one for the Vice President. I was glad because they saw it for themselves. When we arrived, when the meeting MR KGAFELA: There is no time. Where is it coming started everyone was asking me, “Mokgatla, what is from? I cannot see him. happening?” Then I said I am glad you came here hence HONOURABLE MEMBER: It is coming from your you would understand what I am talking about. opposite side. What bothers me is that the project for refurbishing this MR MOATLHODI: On a point of clarification. I road was given to the Council to look for a contractor thank you Mr Speaker. I thank you Mokgatla for having to work on it, with the hope that things would be faster. allowed me to interject you. One of the projects which It is very unfortunate because that was not the case, it the Government is doing right now is seeing to it that is not as fast as we thought it would be. For a while we the Molepolole, Mahalapye and Serowe hospitals are have been hearing the Council officers saying ‘the tender renovated. this, the tender that.’ It is not getting finalised. When we

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talked to them with a stern voice they informed us that it that is not biodegradable. We should also ensure that has now been side-lined because there were some errors we start teaching Batswana back at home that going in the tender document and that there is someone who forward, they have to separate the waste at home before is even complaining about that cancellation, stating that it is even collected; they should separate it in terms of they wished the project could have gone ahead. That the waste being biodegradable or not. person has even appealed. Now when I enquired about the appeal, they informed me that that there is another One of the things that create a lot of waste are things that we use to wrap the things we eat. As Botswana, most of challenge on top of this one, because the people who the food we consume comes from outside and it comes are supposed to hear the appeal, their tenure of office wrapped. These wrappers are the ones that bother us; has ended, now an extension is going to be requested they create waste because they are not biodegradable. for them and then that process would start. There are Therefore, with this policy, we intend to encourage so many delays. I am happy to say when I talked to Honourable Kereng to be quick so that it is implemented Honourable Molale; he promised that he would be swift that when waste leaves homesteads, it would be sorted. in releasing the letter to appoint those who will listen I believe this would address the issue of waste. to the appeal. These are issues of inefficiencies that we find which cause problems and then it would mean our During lockdown we saw many vehicles queuing for fuel. When we saw that situation, we asked ourselves projects do not make progress. I am glad on Monday the what Tshele Fuel Storage was for. road wreaked havoc on the vehicles that were used by Ministers. When I was campaigning for elections in 2019, I made an enquiry and I was informed that the project would Let me continue Mr Speaker and talk about other issues soon be complete. I am talking about the beginning of in Mochudi. We have a dumping site, Honourable 2019 and in 2018. Therefore, when you are told that Kereng, is not here. There is a dumping site at Pilane. there is only a little that is remaining; one would think When you leave Gaborone going to the north, you will in a not so distant future the project would be complete. see it. It is an eyesore to us; it defaces our environment. Even up to now, it has not been opened, it is not yet complete. If it was functioning, we were not going to see When I was still contesting for elections, I was informed long queues of cars, people waiting for fuel from South that that dumping site has gone over ten years; which is Africa, not having anywhere to store it even though we a lifespan it was given. When I made enquiries, I was hurried to build a facility that can store fuel for us. told there are no funds to do anything about that issue. I One other concern in relation to this project is that it am glad that although that is what they said, Honourable seems like… I do not have evidence but it seems like Minster Kereng who is responsible for the environment the National Petroleum Fund (NPF) case contributed is working on amending the waste management policy, to why this project is not completed. I plead with the which talks about how we should dispose of our waste. Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security to pay close attention to it. I wish him a We have many people who come forward to say they speedy recovery. Honourable Members, the Honourable can do recycling and those who can produce energy Minister is not feeling well, he is at the hospital and I from waste. I am working with Councillors, including wish him a speedy recovery. He can hear me wherever even those in the opposition. It is something we are he is, even those who work with him can hear that I am dialoguing about. We have intensions that those saying they should pay attention to this matter, so that investors should come and help us, and see what they we can move the NPF case out of the way and complete can do with this refuse to produce energy using their that project. If it is completed, we are going to build expertise. At the moment, it is burning. When you pass staff houses, offices for officers and a recreational area. there, there is fire most of the time. Because of this fire, When these things are constructed, they will create we were forced to close it. Batswana who have been many job opportunities. Many Bakgatla are going to be dumping their refuse there, have started disposing it employed as well as other people who chose to go and of at Dikwididi and Mmathubudukwane. As I have reside at Kgatleng. explained, the Government under the leadership of Honourable Kereng is racing to answer this outcry, Let me move on to water issues. I shivered when making a review whether we should start separating Honourable Lesaso… he is not here, when he said that refuse, and look at the biodegradable one and the one delivering water from Masama to the Greater Gaborone

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is going to dry underground water not only at Masama this compels them to call meetings often so as to generate but even in the surrounding areas. Honourable Members, sitting allowance, they call meetings even when it is not I honour you so when you present statements before us, necessary to do so. They are now saying, “No, we are I go and research. I researched about it and the Minister working and we fall under structure of Council so we of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services do not know why we are not being paid.” Minister, I confirmed that, “no, we have been getting water there took my time and read law books and I found out that and we have been using it in an extraordinary way, we indeed they fall under Local Government Village/Ward cannot finish it. What we are doing at this point in time Development Committees. I then went on to clause 16 is that we are separating it from North South Carrier under it and I found out that it is straight forward, it is (NSC), we want it to have its own pipe and deliver water saying that their salaries should come from Council and to Mmamashia because the purification process is not I was troubled by the statement that says, “if any.” I then the same. We are still getting water from here, but I wondered if you mean that they will only get paid if the can assure you that as a Ministry that is responsible for decision has been taken. As I am explaining Honourable water resources, we cannot finish water. We preserve Molale, we cannot have a clause like that and not put Botswana resources so that the future generations can it to use, it cannot just be there as a decoration and be also find them.” inadequate among other clauses. It is not a flower, it is a section that challenges councils to set funds aside and HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification. be able to pay elders who work at VDCs, so that they MR KGAFELA: Honourable, pardon me. Honourable can also have a stipend or some form of emolument. Members, this ongoing project is creating job Minister, let me confirm that this clause is not a flower, opportunities. Let me confirm that Khato Civils it has a role to play. Company which is doing this project took a decision Honourable Minister Balopi, let me move on to say that through corporate social responsibility, it is going that we have parents at Pudulogong Centre for the to assist people in settlements where this project passes. Blind and Motswedi Rehabilitation Centre who does I appreciate that it has employed many people, it has not the job that most of us do not know how to do. They only appointed Bakgatla, and it has appointed Batswana look after people living with disabilities and the blind. at large. I am grateful that this project has created jobs Most of us here have not been trained for it, even most for Bakgatla who stay in that area. teachers in this country have not been trained for it. We have Matsieng Development Trust which was We have parents who have been trained for it and they formed during the colonial era in the 1930s. Colonists are doing it. Their complaint is that every time when established farms in all the areas in Botswana so that salaries are reviewed, they are never considered. Elderly the local tribes can develop their cattle. The only Trust people who do this job, who have this rare skill should which is still standing is the Masama Development Trust. also be considered, we should review their salaries. I I wanted to say Masama Honourable Members, pardon told them that although I am part of the Government, I me. It is not Matsieng but Masama Development Trust. encourage them to unionise, that they have to look for a Cattle are developed there and people who buy them are union because they said that they do not have a union. mostly from Sandveld. I thank the Government because I told them that they should join unions because when in the past she contributed to it as a way to support it. It is they have an issue, as Batswana they are the only ones unfortunate that ever since the Government pulled back who can help the Government to improve conditions of from it, it has started to struggle. They are struggling service. They should unionise so that their issues can be and even when they struggle like this, the truth of the controlled by union. matter is that they are still doing their job. Cattle are being developed. Mr Speaker, Bakgatla are really trying Since I do not have enough time, I will quickly move when it comes to cattle development. on to issues that concern the ministry that I am heading. The Honourable Members complained about Botswana Let me move on to Village Development Committee Housing Corporation (BHC). Honourable Moatlhodi (VDC) since I am seated next to Honourable Minister says that the Government is stealing from BHC. I Molale. Minister Molale, VDC workers are asking for want to make it clear that it is not like that Honourable stipends. They are saying that at this point in time, they Members. As a parastatal, BHC pays tax which is 22 per are only given sitting allowance, a paltry P300.00. So, cent of its profit. I admit that in the past, the Government

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used to rob it, but doing so because the Government is we received well in excess of what is available. Out of a shareholder. The law of companies and parastatals these, we found out that 595 youth have applied. This says that when you declare a dividend, the shareholder shows that they were well in excess of a third that is is entitled to it. That has changed, dividend is no longer what Government dedicated itself to provide, it was 70 taken or utilised and all that is required from it is the 22 per cent. This also shows that, even though the youth per cent tax. are not going to get them, they can afford them. A large number of them have at present been taken by the youth. Honourable Reatile complained about Tsholofelo East and West flats, he said that the Government is a forked Since I am running out of time, Honourable Wynter tongue, who says something and does something else. Mmolotsi talked much about the issue of sectional Let me confirm that, when the initiative of these flats titles. He said we owe Batswana some flats because of started, they were built for people who do not qualify for sectional titles. Let me say, we once sat and discussed Self Help Housing Agency (SHHA). These are people this one. I told him that I realised that the Minister who came before me, tried to amend this law. Unfortunately, in the middle income class who are over qualified for it was rejected because of the channel that he used. So SHHA because they earn a higher salary and cannot we are currently dealing with what we believe is going apply at SHHA and it was said that this also includes the to create opportunities. youth. It is true that when this initiative started, I believe that my predecessors, three of them told the Honourable It is unfortunate that this job does not fall under my Members that those flats are going to be given to the ministry since it is land related, nevertheless, I am youth. Let me highlight that this was done with the collaborating with Honourable Mzwinila. He is speeding believe that Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) will up things and assisting me so he can bring a request so be funded. So you cannot try to sustain an Instalment we can present it before the Cabinet, then approve it. Purchase Agreement while you have a loan at the same Our intention is to amend this law and present it before bank where you repossessed those flats. Their period of you Honourable Members. I have faith, so I encourage payment is reduced and compels them to pay it in a short you to approve it without wasting any time. So we can period of time. deal with that thing, so 2000 flats which are in excess can be sold to Batswana. In the process, we experienced things that we did not anticipate and were unable to source funds. So BHC was We have elders just as the President encouraged us to compelled to withdraw from the Instalment Purchase serve… at this moment, one of the Honourable Members Agreement. They have to sell outright flats. I believe the took the floor and complained that we have a challenge Honourable Members were not pleased to see that on where some graduates; architects, engineers and the newspapers. I can only apologise to you because the quantity surveyors are rejected whenever they apply. It Minister failed to update you that Honourable Members, is said that they are not fit. I am rushing through since things have changed. So we are no longer going to we are aware of this issue as a Government. I ended up pursue our initial plan. For this reason, I apologise giving them homework saying, “go and discuss it. Find Honourable Members. We are no longer going to pursue a way through which we can meet each other halfway. what we discussed because we do not have money. We Let us find ways to rectify this issue so we can also are compelled to sell those flats outright. It is not going craft a law which deals with everything that causes this to disadvantage the young people. We initially planned challenge.” It is unfortunate because it seems like ever to build 750 flats and when they were advertised, many since we parted, no one did something about it. of the youth showed interest. They fall within the youth brackets. As a Government, we will assess these laws and find out if we can amend them. We will ensure that there is The exact information was such that there were 750 a serious completion where we have more people into units which were going to be built. At this particular these professions. Those who move with a great deal of moment, we intended to build 372 units at Tsholofelo competition as we believe that our youth are innovative, West and 264 units at Tsholofelo East. The Government they will assist us. At the same time, we have to balance thought about a third of these flats will be reserved for the importance of these professions, where they maintain the youth. When the first 372 were out, 850 applicants international standard which will be considered.

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In conclusion, I appreciate my former lecturer, Key Mr Speaker, we have a road from Mogome village to Dingake, for giving me a book which talks about Mokgware. If you can clearly recall, I sometimes stand Constitution as they anticipated that I am going to partake here talking about Mokgware with great concern that it is on the issue of reviewing the Constitution, ‘Towards a one of the old villages but it seems like it is overlooked. People’s Constitution for Botswana.’ They gave it to me People of Mokgware are now difficult Mr Speaker, they and said, “younger brother, go and prepare yourself so believe they are only remembered during elections but you can review the Constitution.’’ So we are speeding when it comes to developments, they are disadvantaged. things up Honourable Members, we are steadfast that This is a short road which is about eight kilometres we are really going to review the Constitution. We from Mogome to Mokgware. When the road was tarred know that even though we are going to review it, not all from Radisele, it stopped at Mogome. Just like they are sections that are there will be passed. Some are going to Batswana who have rights like every Motswana, ensure come back because they are shared by an overwhelming that this road is improved so that they can also feel like majority of civilised society. Thank you. they are Batswana. We have a road connecting Mabuo and Moiyabana village, it is about four kilometres at the MR LESEDI (SEROWE SOUTH): Thank you Mr constituency I am representing and it is not satisfactory. Speaker. Let me take this opportunity to respond to the At least for now the Ministry of Roads has taken the speech which the President presented before us. Sir, responsibility to construct it but the promises did not before that and as Honourable Kgafela is taking his seat, bear fruit, so maybe they should be delivered on. let me highlight that, that is what we see happening. We also saw it during campaigns in 2019. People were Let me quickly talk about agriculture still on my promising others things that are not there today, just as constituency. Agriculture is one of the ministries in my you have also observed. They talked about things like constituency which made promises, as we all know that we were promised a Service Centre for farmers who the Tshele, they claimed that we are going to do this and Minister then was Mr De Graaff, he even went to do that, also promised a landfill but that has never been the ground breaking. So it seems like all is quiet ever since case up to now. That is what we also see as a challenge. the ground breaking, there were concerns from some They promised things which they are not doing. farmers regarding its location, after that we never heard Sir, let me take this opportunity to try to respond to the any update which shows where the Service Centre is speech by the President as he was updating about the state situated. Sometimes when we say people of Serowe or of the nation. Constituents of Serowe South requested Serowe South seem to be disadvantaged, we are simply me to raise the challenges which they encounter. Sir, we gauging by the developments which are non-existent. have a road which links Serowe and Palapye. We never We have a project which engaged youth all over the even got a clear response when Honourable Ramogapi country, of which youth all over the country will be asked about it last time, which shows what you intend selected to do irrigation farming using dirty water at to do with it. We only heard the Minister saying its life Radihemelo. We saw efforts regarding this project as span has been increased. So we wonder what he means some tunnels were built but it seems to be over. That is by that in this kind of a situation. This road is dilapidated why I am saying these things should be looked into so Mr Speaker. It is a danger to the lives of those who use that our constituencies are assisted. it. We believe the accidents that take place on that road are going to end up killing many people. So the Minister I have concerns, I believe that the time has come for has to pay attention to these issues. Let him ensure that committees under the Ministry of Agriculture like this road is also in a good condition just like other roads. Farmers Committee to be paid. These people have long volunteered and have been doing a huge task which Sir, we also have a road leading from Kalamare to cannot be done for free. Moiyabana. It is also not in a good condition. The way this road was constructed, it shortens the distance by Let me indicate that we are in trouble, when we were linking those travelling from Serowe connecting to here a few days back, we heard that this year’s ploughed Mahalapye and Kalamare areas. It is a gravel road, it land has been reduced from five to four hacters but no has long been graded but until now. Minister, this is one clear explanations have been given. Farmers have of the roads which should be seriously considered to started asking us questions and we do not have clear ensure that they are improved. answers. Right now, we hear that there are grain seeds

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being given and farmers have to share. These changes HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)… negatively affect farmers so this task has to be taken seriously and we should also have explanations we can MR LESEDI: VDC. If you are currently planning to give them. increase their allowance as the Minister was saying, that is our point. When the Motion was brought here, you Let me move to Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) rejected it, you did not even look at the clauses which which I normally talk about here. Honourable Members, you looked at today. If you read those clauses, we we do not know if BMC still exists, nothing is being believe that when that Motion comes, you will heed it. said about BMC to date. Honourable Members these are our concerns; let us ensure that the issue of BMC At Sehunou Kgotla, just imagine in the current situation, is discussed and made clear. Batswana should be the Kgotla does not have water and a toilet. You wonder in a position to know where to sell cattle they were about the staff working there the whole day, how do encouraged to keep at the beginning because we no they survive if there is no water or toilet? No, Minister longer understand the situation of BMC, we cannot hear address these issues to see how we can improve the lives the explanations given. The explanations given are also of people. They are compelled to spend the whole day not satisfactory. there, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. but just imagine they are living under such conditions, in an era where we talk Let me talk about Ministry of Local Government and about the Fourth Revolution. No Honourable Members, Rural Development, which I believe has a lot to do. let us try harder. Coming down to my constituency, we still have Dikgotla Ipelegeng; As we said not so long ago here that they which do not have court Clerk; like Sehunou and Mabuo have discontinued Ipelegeng, I do not know if the Kgotla. It is an occurring problem and concern such Government was regretful to continue it and they failed that whenever I address meetings, the issue is raised. to consider other things. At the moment you have I think responsibility should be taken to see how these discontinued their food rations and these issues are vacant posts can be filled because there are cases, there getting hard for us because when our people talk about is Kgosi or Dikgosi who adjudicate in these Dikgotla them they say, “since you discontinued our food rations but if they have cases, the Court Clerk has to be pulled without any explanation, why can you not take that from Moiyabana, which means cases at Moiyabana then money and include it on our salaries?” Consider these come to a halt. things Honourable Members, maybe the time has come that even the salaries of these poor people who work for In this year’s Government salary increase of 10 per cent Ipelegeng have to be increased because as it was evident and six per cent we noticed that Councillors, Dikgosi from the beginning, it was going to be labour intensive, and old age pensioners did not receive an increase. So I they are the ones who will do all kinds of jobs. Maybe do not know how because whenever there is an increase the time has come to look at these issues in that way. there also benefit today …(Interruption)…Minister scrutinise these issues and give us answers. At Serowe we have a very big council of Central District (CDC), which maybe as some people look at us, they HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification. think we are disputing things. As Botswana People’s Front (BPF), the party that I came here through, we MR LESEDI: I hear you my friend, wait first, I will believe that if there is someone who can divide CDC yield for you later. into sub-councils and make them fully fledged districts, they would have helped us a lot, that is what we wish... Honourable Members, we should find ways to answer these questions because they are asking us what HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)… happened this year. There should be clarity because MR LESEDI: If that can happen, maybe that is when when we checked, we found nothing. Honourable Serowe will start developing. At the moment when you Members, these issues should be addressed. look at the budget of CDC, honestly it is not enough Village Development Committee (VDC); as the when you look at the sub-districts that are under it. Minister mentioned it, Honourable Members, the reason Honourable Minister, we are requesting that if you have we brought the Motion here is because the time has now a way to divide councils, start with CDC Honourable come for their allowance to be increased. Member...

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HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)… HONOURABLE MEMBER: Elucidation.

MR LESEDI: Just imagine how much someone spends MR LESEDI: …and it should not seem like they are to travel from Nata-Gweta to come to the council being discriminated. I yield. meeting at Serowe. I believe that you should divide CDC without any fear or second thought, so that in MR TSHERE: Elucidation. Thank you very much. our next budget for Serowe District, since it will be You are right Honourable Lesedi, our demarcation line Serowe District, we can see what we can do with that is at Tewane. When the Honourable Minister spoke in budget so that we can do something better in regards to Parliament yesterday, he said the water at Bikwe will be developments in our village. distributed to Tewane, Mogome and Radisele, but you are already indicating that there is no water, boreholes HONOURABLE MEMBER: They should stop have dried up at Bikwe. How can the people of Tewane making excuses by …(Inaudible)… expect water when you say the water has dried up at Bikwe? Thank you. MR LESEDI: When I move to the Ministry of Health, let me first thank Honourable Minister Mmusi and his MR LESEDI: If you heard me when I started here, I ministry, we saw them a few days ago handing the old indicated that promises that are made here, you will Sekgoma Hospital buildings to the Ministry of Health. think they will be implemented but in the end you will Honourable Member, we thank you very much, maybe realise that they are just empty promises. At Bikwe Plant, there was supposed to be three operational boreholes what is left is just for the Ministry of Health to tell us which were reserved to provide water for the people of when they are opening old Sekgoma Hospital because Mogome, Mokgware, Radisele and Tewane and like I like I once said, its buildings are getting old. The day we said, only one borehole is operational which is unable will be going back to open Sekgoma Hospital, here and to meet the demand. There is no water at Mokgware, there we will have to… they are provided with water using water bowsers and MR SPEAKER: Honourable Member, I heard you say when they break down, they are left stranded. The Honourable Minister Mmusi maybe you should correct people of Mokgware can spend four days without that, the public is…(Inaudible)…you mean Kgafela. water, because bowsers have had breakdowns. This is an overwhelming situation, which is why they believe MR LESEDI: Sorry Mr Speaker, thank you, Honourable that it seems like they are only remembered when it is Minister Kgafela. time to go for elections. Those are the concerns I wanted HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Murmurs)… to address in regards to my constituency, and I think that Honourable Ministers who are here have taken them MR LESEDI: Let me move on to Honourable Minister into consideration and they will respond to them. of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services. Honourable Member, Mokgware has no water... Maybe one of the things that I want to address while I am still focusing on the Honourable Minister, is land HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)… allocation Honourable Members. The last person to be allocated land by Serowe Sub-Land Board was in 2005, MR LESEDI: It is the only village in that constituency you can see that from 2005 up to now, it has been 15 that does not have water and it is even bowsed. I believe years. Honourable Members, people cannot live being it is Mokgware and Tewane when I include Mahalapye piled up like they are watermelons, let us deal with the Constituency, they are the only villages which I do not issue of land allocation. If you can imagine the number know what they did wrong to the Government. Just of people who were not allocated land at Serowe, you imagine that water from Letsibogo and Dikgatlhong can see that it is just heartbreaking. We request that land reach places like Molepolole, some kilometers away be allocated to the people and it does not seem like we from the line. From those dams to Mokgware is less are expecting the youth or people to have good health than 20 kilometers and people there do not have water. when they do not even have plots and there is nowhere Your plant at Bikwe failed because it cannot provide they can do anything that they are planning to do. If water to those people like it was anticipated, so let us they are allocated land after such a long time, even their view these people as people who live the same life we plans have been messed up in that the money that when are living Honourable Members … someone applied was relying on to make developments,

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they would have used that money for different things, enough; the youth who made a living through their after that if he or she is allocated land they will be artistic work are at a standstill. The Government should expected to develop the plot in a specified period of consider how they can assist these people because this is time. what gives rise to lack of food in the households, because people managed to put food on the table through those At Serowe P1000.00 each was taken from some means. That was their life that in the evening when they Batswana the reason being that they were going to be came home, they would bring something. Just imagine connected to a sewer line, but up until now, nothing has that some of them are renting people’s houses… happened. Mmangwato people want to know what the story is concerning their money. The Government is just MINISTER OF YOUTH EMPOWERMENT, quiet. At one point we heard that Cabinet had taken a SPORT AND CULTURE DEVELOPMENT (MR decision to refund those people, but it was not agreed RAKGARE): Thank you very much Honourable upon. Today we want to know what the situation is with Member. Thank you. Do not be like Dr Gobotswang, the issue of these people’s money. Honourable Minister, work nicely with me. Honourable Member, what you respond to these things so that at the end of the day we are saying is very true indeed, we agree with you that can see how we can assist our people. people are suffering, they are occupying houses but they are not able to pay rentals, they are not able to make a Let me get to the Honourable Minister of Defence, my living, yet they were able to survive by performing. In son-in-law Honourable Kagiso Mmusi. When we move what we are thinking of doing, which we will announce on to police officers Honourable Members, they have soon, maybe you have another idea that you could to be congratulated. Honestly, our police officers may help us with, as to what we could do to enable them to have a shortage of resources but these poor people make a living in this situation whereby we are facing a are hard workers. One thing that I suspect is that the pandemic? Government is making excuses when it is supposed to hire police officers, they are only relying on Special MR LESEDI: I am not sure what are you going to Constables who after a number of years, when they announce, I really do not know what you are going to announce. If I knew I would not phrase it the way I are supposed to be called for an interview, that Special did, so since I do not know, I have not heard anything Constable will fail an interview because of something my in-law, I have not heard you saying anything. Or minor like not being able to run, but in this 15 years did you mention anything? Let me continue by saying he or she was a Special Constable, he or she did that lack of jobs is a challenge among the youth Honourable job effectively. Government should stop the tendency Members. I had hoped that the President would capture of relying on people who we pay less salaries in order and reveal it in a special way in his speech how he to prevent us from hiring people who are qualified, who would create jobs for the youth. Now when I try to are our children who Government spent a lot of time or read, or when I listened to him speak, I just heard him money on them to take them to schools. giving a progress report, which has always been there for all these years in our lives, saying CEDA has funded When I move on to my son-in-law Honourable Rakgare, so many people, and this number of youth have been Honourable Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and employed. That has always been there. We were hoping Culture Development, a ministry which is a problem. that since during campaigns they said they were going What are we saying about artists? Honourable Member, to manufacture an electric car, creating jobs for the what are you planning for the artists? youth, creating jobs; so that is where we are, about the HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification. jobs that were promised. That is why when I started, I pointed out that it seems the promises that were made HONOURABLE MEMBER: You? before elections have now changed. We no longer know what is true, because people are out there are asking us MR LESEDI: I have long said consider someone who where the jobs are. earns a living as a Disc Jockey (DJ), someone who rents out tents for weddings and all other artists and those who DR GOBOTSWANG: Point of elucidation. Thank you do jobs related to those done by artists. At this point in very much. When you say they promised people jobs, time having kept them there, what are we saying about promising the youth, you are reminding me that they them Honourable Minister? I believe we are not doing talked of Botswood, about many things that they were

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going to create 100 000 jobs. They talked about Steve Khama, may he continue to rest in peace. God gave us Harvey, that he will come and create many jobs. They Gaone’s father, may he also rest in eternal peace. These said they will make an…a car using wires…Sorry! An men led this country very well. We were also blessed to electric car. have Festus Gontebanye Mogae, he led very well. Mr Gontebanye Mogae passed the baton to General Seretse HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Laughter!)… Khama who led this country very well too. DR GOBOTSWANG: They said it would also create On that note of thanking them, members of the BDP 100 000 jobs, I mean you are reminding me of those should not forget that in 2007 when their party ship was issues Honourable Member, which transpired during sinking, they remembered General Khama that he can elections campaigns. They campaigned with things they be the one to build and unite them. When I was growing are failing to implement. I thank you. up Mr Speaker, I once heard a saying that “tanki wa Motswana ke fotsek” meaning instead of saying thank MR LESEDI: I thank you Honourable Member. Let me you, a Motswana would rather say fotsek! I had no idea rush so that by the time my time is up, I should have what it meant. covered a lot of things. I believe these are issues which the Government should address and look at afresh so HONOURABLE MEMBERS: ...(Laughter!)... that in future they young people should see themselves as somebodies. When we talk about this one, I was MR LESEDI: Now I think I understand the meaning thinking we should stick to the 60 years retirement. of this saying. When one talks about General Khama, We see 60 years working and not working in some it is as if we are talking about someone whom we have instances. If it ended at 60 years, it would really help, forgotten how much he did for this country. if we could stop the rotation, bringing some people back on contracts, rewarding them considering where MR MAJAGA: Point of order. Humbly so Honourable they might have helped us. If we could stop that and Member whom I respect very much, can you not focus, one or two youth could find an opportunity to be withdraw the word fotsek! from Parliament, this is an employed. august House. Although you are giving an example, despite the fact that some of us do not know Setswana Let us talk about the issue of internship; Honourable idiomatic expressions, but it should… Members, I believe the Government is overly dependent here, and it is even making companies fail to employ MR SPEAKER: I do not understand, but it sounds as because I believe knowledge should complement the if the Honourable Member used a faux statement which theoretical part, that which these youth learned in the says, “The thank you, you can get from a Motswana is institutions or companies, it should be proper not just fotsek!” it is not a derogative expression, it is just simple saying companies will be supplied with interns, giving Setswana. them very little allowances. I believe we should look at this issue of internship from another angle, which can MR LESEDI: I thank you Mr Speaker. I was still assist us. saying when we consider the men that I have been listing here; we should look at them as people who Let me talk about the issue of harvesting mopani worms made us who we are because they at some point led (phane). Let us seriously consider this exercise. I have this country diligently. If individually there is a way in heard that something is being done. As you are still which we look at them, we should first and foremost doing something, remember that in December it is a remember the good deeds they did for us. Therefore, season for harvesting phane. after being taken from the army, since he was doing HONOURABLE MEMBER: What is it that is being very well, we saw him coming up with programmes that done? unveiled many talents. We started seeing genres like polka which some of us did not know. We also saw the MR LESEDI: They said they are still talking. Honourable constituency tournaments, many skills being unearthed. Members when we are here talking, let us not forget that So those who stand here and talk about allegations or this country was blessed with our forefathers who were about newspapers which cannot take us anywhere, how former Presidents of this Republic. We have our first is that going to be beneficial to this Parliament at this President who led our country well, the late Sir Seretse point in time? If there were allegations…

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HONOURABLE MEMBER: Not Parliament but the and combat this virus. The statement that was once country. uttered here saying, “You are not governing and you will never govern,” do you now see what is happening? MR LESEDI: Yes, the country. Thank you Nkamo’s father. How is that going to help this country since Thank you Mr Speaker. I believe that that is all that I allegations never go anywhere? At least if these issues wanted to say. can be presented before the Courts of Law, if these allegations can be investigated, if prosecutors can do ASSISTANT MINISTER OF HEALTH AND thorough investigations and take proper action instead WELLNESS (MR LELATISITSWE): Thank Mr of talking about these issues as if they are just mere Speaker. Let me take this time to comment on the excuses, as if the Honourable Members are ridiculing State of the Nation Address (SONA) as present by His forgetting that they are ridiculing the leadership of the Excellency (HE) the President. Mr Speaker, let me country. As these leaders are ridiculed, we have to know point out that I come from Boteti East Constituency that there are some who were feared and not mentioned. in the Central District. I stand here today as a Member Mr Speaker, these issues have to come to an end, we of Parliament and Assistant Minister of Health and have to talk about things that can develop us, things that Wellness. can be beneficial to the nation of Botswana. Mr Speaker, let me point out that where I am…

Mr Speaker, I believe that we have said it all. At the MR SPEAKER: Order! Order! Honourable Members, end of the day, let me point out that we talked about it is time for lunch break. Let us break for lunch and issues of COVID-19 at the beginning, as a way to avoid come back at 2:00 p.m. playing the blame game. Let us show that we can take full responsibility to deal with this issue as a team, to PROCEEDINGS SUSPENDED AT 1:04 P.M. FOR try and come up with ways that can help us to combat APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR this challenge. The time is now Mr Speaker, State of Emergency controls COVID-19 in all ways. According PROCEEEDINGS RESUMED AT 2:05 P.M. to the promises that our people made, I hope that it “EXCHANGE OF SPEAKERSHIP” will not spread further. These issues are disheartening because they affect Batswana, they affect us all. If we MR SPEAKER (MR SKELEMANI): Let us start our could see them from the same angle, we have to reach afternoon session with Ministers ‘questions. a point where we agree. State of Emergency did not help us that much, our cases are still escalating. If it LEADER OF THE HOUSE’S QUESTION was according to me, I believe this is a time to declare TIME lockdown. The government is refusing because she sees THEME: UPDATE ON PLEDGES MADE BY HIS that if she can do a lockdown, Batswana are going to EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT AT MAUN starve as she failed to feed them during the previous KGOTLA lockdown. We were expecting Phase 2 lockdown, but statements were released saying that there will be To ask His Honour the Vice President to give an update no lockdown. There is the responsibility Honourable on pledges that were made by His Excellency the President and his entourage of Ministers during a Kgotla Members, let us come together and see how we can meeting held at the Maun Kgotla on 13th September, combat COVID-19. Let us stop talking about issues 2018. Specifically, His Honour the Vice President that cannot help us, disheartening statements which are should provide updates on the following: directed to people who are trying to help us to combat this pandemic. When it is like this, every opinion is (i) how much of the 10.2 billion Pula loan secured accepted as there is a Setswana idiom which says, by the President during his visit to China has been “bolwetse tlou bo loswa ka gotlhe,” meaning that a received and if the funds are still planned to be pandemic is a mammoth task, you do anything to fight used in part for the reconstruction of roads in it. We have to make sure that we combat the spread of Ngamiland; the virus. Mr Speaker, the virus has already spread and I do not know what we are going to do about it. Both the (ii) progress made in securing new markets for export ruling part and Opposition parties should come together of beef from the North West District; and

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(iii) steps taken to ensure that citizens play a more address issues of ministries like Ministry of Agricultural meaningful role in the tourism sector and Development and Food Security, Ministry of milestones reached. Environment, Wildlife and Tourism as well as Ministry of Finance and Economic Development. This meant MR D. SALESHANDO (MAUN WEST): Thank you that I had to go and get satisfactory information about Mr Speaker. This question is directed to His Honour the these issues. Vice President. Should I not wait for him to… Let me point out that according to the Standing Orders HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)… of this Parliament, when supplementary questions MR SALESHANDO: Sir? are asked later on, the Ministers responsible for the ministries that I just listed are not allowed to respond HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Murmurs)… to those questions in this House. This means that when I get to that point, Honourable Leader of the Opposition MR SALESHANDO: Thank you Mr Speaker. I will bear with me if I pass supplementary questions to am directing my question to the Vice President, so the Ministers so that he brings questions that they can that he addresses us in relation to the promises that respond to at a later date. I thought to highlight that th His Excellency (HE) the President made on the 13 before responding. September 2018 at the main Kgotla in Maun. He made a couple of promises in 2018 and it has been two years Mr Speaker, it is true that the President held a meeting since he made those promises. He announced at the at Maun Kgotla in 2018 on the 13th September. He Kgotla that he sourced P10.2 billion from China because promised a lot of things just as the current Honourable prior to that, he visited china. He said that he is going Member of Maun West says. He talked about a lot of to use some of the funds for the maintenance of some things but I will focus on what the Honourable Member old roads across the whole Ngami District. He also said think it is important to deal with at the moment, just as that he secured a market for the cattle from Ngami and he was asking about them. Let me start by highlighting that the buying prices will be better. The President further said that he is going to take action to ensure that that his major point at that Kgotla meeting was about the Batswana, and not just any Batswana, but the youth of procedure... You will note Mr Speaker that it was a time Ngami will have a fair share in the tourism industry. when the Honourable President had just resumed office, in April. He indicated that he was going to govern The Vice President should address us because by the through an inclusive Government which observes the look of things, two years later there are no traces of rule of law. That was the introduction of his speech at P10.2 billion that we were told about at Maun. We Maun. still have a challenge when it comes to selling cattle at Ngami. Maybe you should clearly indicate the market Mr Speaker, let me now respond to questions by the that the President was talking about so that farmers at Member of Parliament, Honourable Saleshando. I will Ngamiland can know where to go when they want to sell start with the loan that we got from China just as he their cattle. Two years later, there are still no changes in said. We got this loan through Botswana Public Finance the tourism industry as he promised. I believe that the Management Act of 2011. It says that the Minister of Vice President should update us on these issues. Thank Finance and Economic Development is the only one you Mr Speaker. who can borrow money on behalf of our country. After doing that, that kind of money is legally approved by LEADER OF THE HOUSE (MR TSOGWANE): Parliament, that is when it can confirm that the country Thank you Mr Speaker. Thank you Honourable Leader or Government has secured a loan. Regarding the loan of the Opposition (LOO) for the important questions we got from China, before talking about the history that you presented. Mr Speaker, you will also realise that behind, this money did not follow the procedure that these questions are broad, they require me to elaborate I have just mentioned of Botswana Public Finance at length. So the Honourable Members should not run Management Act of 2011. We were unable to get that out of patience when I elaborate at length. loan just as this House did not confirm that indeed we Mr Speaker, let me appreciate that this question was got it. Those who were in Parliament in 2011 will tell slotted last week but I negotiated with Leader of the you that they never approved a law which allows them Opposition, looking at the fact that these questions to get a loan. This is what happened Mr Speaker, when

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the President traveled to China, China promised to give from Ngami which are at an area where animals mix loans to African countries. It indicated that they will with cattle. We arranged to have private abattoirs and loan African countries that are in a Forum on China- the other one from Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) Africa Cooperation, an amount of 60 billion US Dollars. at Maun. We also arranged to find markets for them so Since the President attended that meeting, he decided they will be responsible for selling beef which comes that Botswana can only spend 12.37 billion of that from that area. This is the progress that they made; amount. When he came back Mr Speaker, we arranged they have managed to sell beef worth 27 524 tonnes projects which are worth that amount. After they were at Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kuwait and arranged in January 2019, all projects were sent by those Zimbabwe. Other tonnes worth 227 794 will be sold at who make that kind of arrangement from the Ministry DRC, Kuwait, Gabon and Mozambique. Furthermore, of Finance. One of those projects was Nata-Maun. other tonnes worth 205 520 were sold at DRC in 2020. After that, they did not have an agreement to spend that If you compare it to 2019, the tones have increased. I do money as per our plans as well as looking at how much not think it is necessary to mention the ones for 2019. that road cost. Moreover, we had to determine if the interest rates are good or bad for us such that we can There was an agreement with countries that we are get that loan. As a country, we found out that it would trading with to ensure that beef from these areas can be expensive to get that loan from China at the moment. be traded through Commodity Based Trade whereby That is why we ended up not getting that loan. beef will be traded to broader markets. There will be no geographical separation. This is a way to trade safe It is true, we made promises that the road and other commodities to markets, that is the ongoing plan. There things which we arranged are going to be implemented is a progressive control pathway which will progress just as Honourable said. We would find how to source farms like Haina Veldt from red zone to green zone funds for them. We planned that Maun-Nata, A3-A35 or can trade beef to green zone. This is regarding the road will be funded by Domestic Development Fund. Ngamiland beef market. We also intended to assess other roads like Francistown- Nata and Maun--Mohembo and fund them In terms of tourism Mr Speaker; His Excellency the through Public Private Partnership (PPP) funding. So President Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Masisi promised to that is as far as we went. promote citizen empowerment in tourism. After the President deliberated with the relevant stakeholders in Let me move on to talk about what happened after not this sector in October 2018, he directed that there should getting a loan from China. Invitation to tender the entire no more land allocations for tourism businesses in a bid Maun-Nata road started in October 26th, 2020. It will be closed this year on the 25th November 2020, which to address the concerns Batswana they had towards the meant that is how it was arranged so as to prepare for land administration of tourism land under the Ministry those tenders. This also means designing the entire road of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and and construction will start in September 2021. Tourism. It was suspended for that period to rectify that situation. Mr Speaker, applicants sent their applications to the Ministry of Finance as per the procedure. They were Furthermore Mr Speaker, the President’s Taskforce all received and preparations were being processed so made the following directives; that PPP can deal with some of those roads to finish up all the roads, Francistown-Nata, Maun-Mohembo • The land boards should obey the Land Policy Act including the one that I mentioned. This was reported and the current law administration. during the State of the Nation Address (SONA), it • Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources was also confirmed by the Economic Recovery and Conservation and Tourism should continue Transformation Plan (ERTP) which we approved last time. This one wraps up the question which asked about assuming responsibility of allocating tourism land in these roads. those areas.

Moving on to the second question Mr Speaker, this was • There should be a process to start assessing lease our plan concerning the beef market; as he mentioned agreements and renewal but Batswana should that we are going to find markets for cattle that come participate meaningfully

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Mr Speaker, I should inform you that in May 2019, I think as the Vice President (VP), you discuss these His Excellency the President directed that there should issues. So what are your plans regarding involving be a policy on Citizen Economic Empowerment in the Ngamiland residents to play a larger role in the tourism tourism sector. This was divided as such; all available sector? He said, “Ngamiland residents who are at a land was allocated to Batswana consortiums. huge disadvantage because of wildlife, my Government is planning to ensure that your children will be part of I have already covered some as I indicated that they concessions.” There is not even a single one who is part were allocated to Batswana consortiums. With that of it. I now hear rumours that you want to sideline us being said Mr Speaker, these are the responses to the because we are not Batswana. I want to go and give the question the Member of Parliament asked regarding the report on behalf of the President, so how far are you Maun Kgotla meeting. As I indicated, there is more but with the promises he made during that Kgotla meeting? due to time and because they were not asked today, I did Please explain those three points. not cover them. Thank you Mr Speaker. 102 billion; commit yourself that you will advise the MR SALESHANDO: Thank you Mr Speaker. It is President that is not how things are done. If you heard clear that there is a problem. In the first point of the that there is money somewhere, you cannot go and road, the President did not say he might get money from announce at Dikgotla while you did not sign anything. China, he said, “I have secured a loan of 10.2 billion Timeline of tourism issues; please explain if it will from China.” You cannot inform the nation that you actually happen. secured funds when you have not signed anything. Right now, if First National Bank (FNB) offers loans of P100 MR TSOGWANE: Thank you Mr Speaker. No, I 000, I cannot go to my family and tell them that I have disagree with the way you put it Honourable Member of P100 000 and start making plans on how we are going to Parliament for Maun West and Leader of the Opposition utilise that money because that is what the President did. of this House. There is nothing wrong and if there When he heard that there are loans, after the meeting he was money and we know that we can borrow it, there went and informed Maun residents that I have secured is nothing that stops us from telling the people. What funds for you whereas there was no signed agreement. people want there is a road, whether it is constructed This is an advice Vice President, advice the President using the money from China or not is neither here nor that he should not do that. You do not inform the nation there. The Government is the one which is supposed that you have secured funds amounting to 10.2 billion to find a cheaper way of constructing that road. SoI to construct a road. If he ever gets a chance, he should am saying this here, I take it that Honourable Minister apologise that he reported that he secured funds whereas of Transport and Communications has explained there is no signed agreement. That is the first advice. to the people of Ngami that their road is going to be constructed with money from here at home because we Regarding the one securing markets for cattle from realised that the loan from China was expensive. It was Maun; Your Honour, Botswana Meat Commission not wrong for the President to tell the people that China- (BMC) and private abattoirs market is not a solution. Africa Cooperation can borrow us money. There was The main challenge is that the profit from cattle does not nothing wrong with that. So now this is where you say equate the effort put in producing the beef. A cow from no, I should speak the way I spoke, but what is needed your constituency of Boteti, which is the same breed and by the people of Ngami is roads like it was promised. I weight with the one at Ngami, the one at Ngami is going take that you asked a question and they heard the answer to be paid less than those from other regions. So, that that roads will be constructed according to these plans situation has not changed, it means in brief that was the I have mentioned. Nothing has been changed and even President’s promise which he did not intend to deliver. the President was not wrong to go and hold a Kgotla meeting there promising people what he is going to do Can you please be clearer on the third point of tourism like I have said. It does not ruin anything Leader of the because I did not hear. The President’s promise to Opposition. Ngamiland residents that there will no longer be human wildlife conflict, what happened to it? What you said is As I have said, even if we can find people who can that land allocation was suspended, so it does not answer borrow you money, even if we can say World Bank will the question. I want you to tell us about the timelines; borrow us money to connect water and other things, what were your plans when you made such promises? we knew that we had to follow procedure. Like I said

22 Hansard No 200 Thursday 26th November, 2020 LEADER OF THE HOUSE’S QUESTION TIME

about the Rule of Law, a law should be approved by it and he or she can update you better. I am not saying this Parliament. That money has to be approved by this you are wrong to have asked me a question, but I was Parliament. Honourable Moatlhodi can be my witness telling you that the disadvantage of doing that is that you that during his time in Parliament, we have approved will not find answers if you want an update. What I have many loans and sometimes we were complaining about said, it is the answers I have been given. It is what I was the interests of some loans that they seemed expensive informed about. I am not guessing, I am not dreaming to repay, those are the procedures that we are following. nor am I prophesying. What I am doing is to give you If it can happen that the Government may be in your answers the way the relevant Ministers analysed them hands, you will also follow this procedure, unless you and saw it fit that they should be answered that way. choose a different procedure, but Parliament will be the I take it that when the relevant Minister is asked that one approving money. When you have been promised question about wildlife, he will answer it better. something, you also make promises. On this other one of markets, you are talking about We are from the elections Mr Speaker, we made prices. I do not know about prices because you did not promises and Honourable Saleshando and members of ask prices from the beginning. You said markets will be his party have also made promises not knowing if there found for the people of Ngami. I mentioned markets; was available money. They promised to pay people Democratic Republic of Congo, Kuwait, and the amount basic salaries of P3 000, not knowing if money was of tonnes purchased, I mentioned that. So prices being available, but only because they hoped they will do low is another issue. I do not disagree with you, but it certain things that would enable them to deliver on these is not the same as people at Maun not having a market. promises they mentioned. I do not see any problem in That is what I am saying. The Ministry of Agricultural saying something we know, that we can confirm and we Development and Food Security continues to find better even know that that money is available like I have said. markets. I can see Honourable Motsamai shaking his head, he does not want people to sell their cattle because I think that the President has done a good thing for this country by ensuring that even though we were supposed he is complaining about prices. We do not control prices to borrowed money, he did not panic and think that in of those people. We cannot control their prices when future they will refuse and say we once said we want they are people from other countries who buy from us, to borrow money and we did not borrow it. He realised unless maybe he can tell us something better. Maybe that he had to do something good for his country and Honourable has a better market; and he can help us to reverse that loan. That is also our intention to try and know where to look. finance future developments with money from our HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)… country. The pension fund that can be invested in other countries, we have to use it here at home. Not so long MR TSOGWANE: No, I am focusing on the one who ago we approved a law here, Honourable Minister of is advocating for an issue he did not bring up. That is it Finance and Economic Development approved a law to Leader of the Opposition. Thank you. increase bonds, as a way to try to assist in loans that are borrowed locally. That will also assist us so that the MR SPEAKER: Honourable Nkawana! local markets can grow and can be able to create jobs HONOURABLE MEMBER: Thank you Honourable for our people. Because of that Honourable Member, Speaker. you could just congratulate the President. That is all you should do. MR SPEAKER: Nkawana!

HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Applause!)… HONOURABLE MEMBERS: Nkawana!

MR TSOGWANE: The other thing Leader of the MR NKAWANA: Thank you Mr Speaker. Let me ask Opposition in the House, Honourable Saleshando, the Vice President that, since I heard him talk about ministries that deal with these departments have lands which he said should be divided so that Batswana information and they can update you better. Even if can be allocated yes, that message or complaint is there. you can ask about something that has changed at the Therefore, after that division, as you said that you were ministry which I have not been informed about right going to divide them, how many Batswana occupied now, I cannot know but the relevant Minister can know that land? That is the first question.

Hansard No 200 23 Thursday 26th November, 2020 LEADER OF THE HOUSE’S QUESTION TIME

Secondly, as we speak this land that you say is in the Kgotla to be an arena for the 2019 elections promises; hands of foreigners, Batswana are complaining about so is that what you are saying, that we should accept it it, does the Vice President know that when there are as just promises for the 2019 elections. tenders that are distributed so that Batswana can try their luck, those people that we are complaining about HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Applause!)… have a clause in their leases which states that they have MR HIKUAMA: It was not an answer from a leader of the first right of refusal. This means that they have the the country explaining what was happening. right to refusal against those who won with points in the tender, and at times they are even requested to ask the The second one is about concessions and leases for person who won the tender that you won by how much communities. I did not hear him properly whether he if it is money. Are you aware of this Vice President? said the one who will respond is the Minister or what. When are you intending to rectify this so that Batswana Batswana communities are waiting for leases to start can be involved in those places? Thank you. businesses and to market their things properly. I did not hear you properly as to when they should expect MR TSOGWANE: Thank you Honourable Nkawana. it, when is it going to happen because people are just You indicate that you know this business very well and you are a participant. I thank you. Really, I do not know waiting and they have no right to use those concessions. that… Look for clear answers. It thank you.

HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)… MR TSOGWANE: No, the first one was not a question, he was just satisfying his thirst of wanting to apportion MR TSOGWANE: No, when someone praises a blame. Let me respond to that second one; the issues Motswana who is in business like Honourable Nkawana, that I am talking about are ongoing; the Honourable there are those who are jealous of him like Honourable Minister is dialoguing with stakeholders. For it to be Dr Gobotswang who do not want him to be in business. stopped, as I have said in my answer, it is Batswana who complained. So there were responses, appropriate HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Laughter!)… measures were taken but the job is not complete, but MR TSOGWANE: I congratulate him that he is one talks are ongoing about when it would take place; it lies of Batswana who are in this business. I did nothing upon the talks as I said they are ongoing. Those who are wrong. Honourable Nkawana, I do not know that there affected that side know how they are making progress is a clause there which gives the person who has been with the Minister. Mr Speaker, as I am talking let me doing business there the first right that they are the focus on the Member who asked the question, others ones who should indicate that they accept or should be are making me face the other way but he wants me to given first preference. My expectation like I have said look at him. There is progress Honourable Hikuama, the is that, those kind of laws should be amended so that Minister is aware, she can tell you how far they have they do not prevent Batswana to be involved. It is the gone regarding the talks. I thank you. Government’s intention to do that. In regards to the one MR KEKGONEGILE: Thank you Mr Speaker, good about how many Batswana will be allocated, I really afternoon Honourable Members. Like Honourable cannot confirm that right now. Although the Minister Hikuama was saying, there were several Kgotla will not have a chance to answer something that he was meetings and it appears many promises were also made, not asked, he will find a chance to explain to you. Maybe throughout the country. We would like to ask the Vice when we go for a break, you should ask him how many President to assist us to compile those promises, so that Batswana are going to be allocated; he will answer you we can remind him about them and bring them here so Honourable Nkawana so that you may be content. that in 2024 he will not repeat the 2019 promises. Do MR HIKUAMA: I thank you Honourable Speaker. you not think it is important for you to go back to Maun I thank you Your Honour the Vice President for your or Ngami to go and inform the nation that those promises answers. I would like to understand the first answer will not happen, they were just promises; say to them, regarding the promises that were made with regard to ‘we thought they were possible but unfortunately it the construction of roads, as we had also promised that is not possible.’ People are hopeful that the promises we would give people P3 000. You had turned the Maun would come, yet they were just 2019 elections promises.

24 Hansard No 200 Thursday 26th November, 2020 LEADER OF THE HOUSE’S QUESTION TIME

The second point is; since you will be building this road I would take it from there and say those funds are going through the Public Private Partnership (PPP), are you to assist me at the Motopi junction. It will be in the plan patching it or are you building it from scratch? If you that when the Maun-Nata road is built using those funds, patch it, do you not view this as wasting funds because they should connect the Motopi-Makalamabedi portion. after two years it is going to go back to the state it is in? I believe it will assist us in the future, we are hopeful If you build a new road completely, that would be much and we believe it will be built. I believe that is all. better. HONOURABLE MEMBER: Timeline? You talked about the Botswana Meat Commission MR TSOGWANE: I said the Honourable Ministers (BMC) prices in Kuwait, and you even said they have have timelines, and they will answer you Honourable been increased in 2020. We are hearing that information Member. When you want to go to the Father, you have from you Your Honour the Vice President. How much to go through the Son… have they increased because we have never heard BMC saying they have had any increment in 2020, we are still HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Laughter!)… using the old prices. If you are going to sell the number MR TSOGWANE: The Son is there, he will give you of tonnes you mentioned, why does BMC take three all the answers and he also said there is no one who will months to pay people yet so many tonnes are bought? go to Father without going through him. You also have You were saying Haina Veldt will be a green zone, you to know that these Ministers, for you to go the Father mean starting when Your Honour? The people of Haina you pass through the Son. Veldt are listening, and they should prepare themselves that the green zone certificate is coming hence they LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION (MR should breed properly. Thank you. SALESHANDO): Procedure. Mr Speaker, I would like to request the Vice President to take these questions MR TSOGWANE: Yes, he was just reiterating what seriously. When you promise people that part of the I said. About the many promises, it is indeed true that constituency should come out of the red zone and we made them and we are fulfilling them. One of the become green, and then when you are asked when that promises that are happening although it is not part of will happen, and you say those could be asked some the question is in regard to consulting the nation about people, saying for us to reach him we have to go though the lifting of the hunting ban that took place, which says someone. It is a day of answering questions and we Batswana can hunt wild animals, the hunting ban was know that most of the time the challenge is that this lifted. The one regarding the road; the promises have Government never has timelines for anything. If there is happened because I am telling you that funds are here, no timeline, he should just say it is not there; if it is there and this is where the funds are going to be sourced and he should tell us. I thank you. a road is going to constructed. When you say you will believe after seeing, there is nothing I can do, hence MR SPEAKER: I am sure he has heard you. you will believe after seeing, but those promises will MR TSOGWANE: I thank you Mr Speaker. I have become a reality. heard you. Had you asked about timelines in your question, they would have been availed to you. I did not Even last time when the Minister of Finance and know you would want to know them, that is why I am Economic Development was responding, he answered saying there is a problem when you ask someone who is the same question that was asked by Honourable not in the implementing ministry. As for timelines, the Saleshando. I take it that Honourable Saleshando Minister has them, he is close to me, he has the answer saw that the Minister was saying exactly what he told but the problem now is the Standing Orders of this me, what I am saying today. This road is going to be House, he cannot respond to the question. The Standing constructed from scratch, not patching it. The patching Orders do not allow that. I believe that you will see them that you are talking about we are seeing it being done Honourable Member, so be hopeful. We will give them here and so that people could be able to use the road to you when we leave this House. Thank you. because as I was saying, September 2021 is a bit far from today for the road to be left for a long time with DR GOBOTSWANG: Your Honour, I can see potholes, so the maintenance of the road will continue that you are refusing to go back to Maun to ask for even if it is going to be re-built. forgiveness. Pilikwe people were also banking on the

Hansard No 200 25 Thursday 26th November, 2020 RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH Motion (Resumed Debate)

funds from China, that some of the funds are going to MR MANGWEGAPE-HEALY: On a point of be used to construct Radisele-Pilikwe road. So I want procedure. Thank you Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, to know if you will go to Pilikwe to apologise because Honourable Leader of the House Question Time; I the message was delivered by the former Member of thought it would have been only fair for both sides of Parliament (MP), she announced that the President said the House to ask questions, so that it does not seem like that there are some available funds from China. What this is the opposition’s time to ask Leader of the House are you saying about going to Sefhare-Ramokgonami questions. Thank you. Constituency to apologise? MR SPEAKER: Order! Order! You can also ask him MR TSOGWANE: I do not understand how the questions indeed. Nobody prevents you from asking Honourable Member is describing these issues as well him questions. as how he thinks. I did not apologise for anything here, for you to say that since I have apologised I should now HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Murmurs)… go to Sefhare-Ramokgonami to ask for forgiveness. ASSISTANT MINISTER OF HEALTH AND Honourable Dr Gobotswang, there is nothing to WELLNESS (MR LELATISITSWE): Thank you Mr apologise for. If you want to ask about that road, Speaker. I believe that I have already greeted Batswana confidently ask about it and the Minister will answer at large, so I just have to get straight to the debate you. Do not be hesitant to ask the relevant Minister in which we are trying to respond to the State of the about issues that concern your Constituency. This right Nation Address (SONA) by His Excellency. I said that I here is a question which was asked by Leader of the stand here as a Member of Parliament and an Assistant Opposition, asking about his Constituency. You are now Minister of Health and Wellness. Let me point out that imputing improper motives on us by saying that I am my Constituency and Ministry of Health and Wellness refusing to ask for forgiveness. If there was something have been affected by COVID-19. This pandemic is to apologise for, I could be doing that right now because upon us. Batswana are aware that the virus has befallen the nation is listening, they are watching me. So I cannot us and it has greatly affected the economy of this go to Maun to apologise because people of Maun want a country and the President stated this. The pandemic has road, whether it will be financed by Dollars, Pula or any greatly affected the economy, more especially at Boteti other currency is not in their interest. They only want a Constituency. We can see that sales of diamonds are at road and I have said that it is going to be constructed. I a standstill and recently the mines announced that they even went a far as giving timeliness and stating that the are considering to restructure. Restructuring means that tendering process and mapping have started. You should a lot of people are going to lose their jobs and all these appreciate that Honourable Dr Gobotswang. I even told are the predicaments of this pandemic. you that the road at my constituency is also included in that budget. I am grateful that Motopi-Makalamabedi Mr Speaker, I believe that it is only in our country where road is going to be constructed when that road passes to some people see this virus as a political tactic. Let me Maun. So just be grateful, I can see that you are smiling advise the leadership here that just as we have seen on and your face is brightening up. Go and tell, that is if it television, this virus affects everyone. When experts was included in that budget, I do not have evidence that advise us and then we politicise this issue, we are going it is in the budget, maybe you are just talking about a to mislead the nation. If we do not advise them to follow road that is not in that budget. Thank you. the regulations as stated by the health practitioners; that we should not be crowded and other things, we RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT’S will be misleading them because when we look at our SPEECH population, it cannot afford to have high cases more Motion especially when we look at the resources that we have. (Resumed Debate) Let me cite words which were uttered by the Honourable Members from Shoshong and Lobatse that it seems like MR SPEAKER: Order! Order! Honourable Members. leaders in this House or Batswana are very angry. When When the House adjourned for lunch, Honourable you listen to how Members of Parliament debate, you Minister Lelatisitswe was on the floor. Honourable can clearly see that the battle is on. Let me highlight that Minister you have 34 minutes. some of them end up forgetting their voters. What we

26 Hansard No 200 Thursday 26th November, 2020 RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH Motion (Resumed Debate)

do here as leaders is what our constituents end up doing. HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)… I often log onto Facebook to read people’s comments. You can just see that people are full of rage and MR LELATISITSWE: No sir, my child is doing sometimes it is fuelled by what we do here as leaders. I Form 4 at Naledi Secondary and she is doing well there believe that Parliament is full of educated people, some because I trust the education that Government offers. were lecturers at Universities, some are teachers and Another one goes to at Livingstone while another social workers but when they discuss issues, it is as if one has not started school. these qualifications are ignored. I wish that when we are If you consider my constituency, I have many villages here as leaders of this country, we should be honest and sir. I have Mmatshumo village which is a stone away not mislead people. Leaders should also love each other from Orapa and we are troubled by animals, especially and tell people the truth, we should respect offices and wild animals like elephants. We were not used to seeing positions that we have been assigned during our term. elephants in our constituency and there are many of I hear many stories Mr Speaker, even though the them nowadays. President is seriously trying to build the country, Let me appreciate Honourable Mzwinila`s ministry for that we should work together and deliver services to managing to purify water within a short period of time Batswana. If you can tour all government offices, they at that village. My constituents sent me to tell this House are all filled by the indigenous Batswana but when you that they are happy. ask for some services, it is quite difficult to be provided with the information that you need, to be assisted. We When you are in Mmatshumo village, there is a road see this. When the President says that we should return which links Mosu and Mmatshumo. All the school the assets of this country to Batswana, he is not only resources are provided at Mosu village. So it is talking to us here, he is talking to everyone. That is why important to pay attention to this road going forth so we I believe that time has come for us to abolish permanent can empower these people. and pensionable posts from the Director level, because We appreciate Government for constructing Mosu- it is a contributing factor to situations whereby when one sees that he/she is permanent and pensionable... Thalamabele road even though we are in difficult times we have comprehensively educated young people in of COVID-19. Our main challenge is maintenance of this country and when someone realises that there are schools that we have there; both primary and junior a lot of people out there who are queuing for his/her secondary schools. Another one is teachers; they take… position, he/she will not be incompetent, he/she will these are small villages but we are concerned because assist Batswana; not assisting people according to their people take a very long time in rural areas and we do nationalities and other mischievous ways. These are not speak on their behalf that the Transfer Policy should some of the issues which we must pay attention to as be applied so they can be transferred to areas where a country and as current Members of Parliament. We resources are available. These are some of the issues must come up with ideas that can be used to change the that we must talk about Mr Speaker. public service. I know that even in this House, without public servants we do not believe in our products. If we We also have Makgaba village. It was gazetted two or are the ones who produced something, we do not trust three years ago. Land board is delaying the growth of them. I can give you a simple example Mr Speaker; this village as they have not allocated plots up to date. we have lecturers from universities here, instead of Unfortunately, if you do not give a person a plot, you taking their children to where their products are, in impoverish them because there is nothing that they can Government schools, they never take them there but do for themselves. So we need plots to be allocated in elsewhere. Some taught doctors and instead of taking that village; both business and residential so they can them to Government hospitals, they do not do that. This also have something next to their names. Water and has been going on for a very long time Mr Speaker. It is electricity pass through this village but shockingly, this mainly because as Batswana, we believe something has village does not have them. So think and plan for these to be attached to an English word, things like English things. When we confirm a village, all resources that medium, private hospital but these are the same people are given to a village must be provided as a package who are our products. If we fail to trust them as leaders, because supplying them with water through a bowser, it then we have a great problem in our country … will take us nowhere.

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Mmea is a very beautiful village which is 18 kilometres encourage people to produce their own food in this from the tarred road and located next to Makgadikgadi village. The villages that I have just listed Mr Speaker Mr Speaker. We appreciate Government because they are covered by the Affirmative Action, that those who managed to supply that village with electricity. This come from remote areas actually qualify for all jobs. It village has a road which must be maintained. There is is like students from these villages have graduated from electricity there but it is not connected at the Kgotla, universities but some of them are idling at home because hospital, clinic and primary school. We wish these people who come from other areas are appointed instead things could be done in a short period of time so that of them. This is a bothersome issue which also bothers those people, especially public servants can live in them, they ask me about it from time to time. They pleasant conditions so that they can enjoy what others would say, ‘why do you engage someone from outside are enjoying. to clean in this area when we have children in this village?’ These kinds of things are really bothersome. Mr Speaker, Mokubilo village is on the highway, We believe this was a great programme, it only requires everybody knows it. It is located between Francistown the Ministry of Local Government to enforce that and ; 100 kilometres from Letlhakane Affirmative Action Policy. and 100 kilometres from Francistown. It is one of the villages which must have a service centre so people can Sir, these villages also have great natural resources which be assisted. This is also a rapidly growing village but I believe a time has come for Citizen Entrepreneurial there is no water and electricity at the new plots. These Development Agency (CEDA), Botswana Development are some of the things which we are looking at. Corporation (BDC) and National Development Bank (NDB) to try to build either lodges, in collaboration with Moving on to issues of agriculture, they have a cluster communities. This can be done as a way of encouraging fence. We wish the ministry of agriculture could develop them to generate their own income as well as return this cluster fence which is in Mmea village so that they their money and then withdraw from them. We have to can produce their own food. Mr Speaker, residents of discuss some of these things going forth. this area are hardworking, they do things for themselves and are capable of providing this country with food. Mr Speaker, as we speak, there is one big village in Water is also not very far in that village. These are Boteti called Letlhakane, it is the only village surrounded issues that we can talk about. by five big diamond mines such as Lucara and other Debswana mines. Mr Speaker, if you visit that village There is a village called Khwee in my constituency; it is there is a huge outcry as we have lamented for a long 60 kilometres from Letlhakane. It has a very bad gravel time that this village has automated itself to an urban- road. This road, the Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Trade could join hands and assist the Ministry of rural area but the developments from Government are Transport because it leads to the Special Economic delayed. Mr Speaker, as I normally say and always notice Zone (SEZ) at the farms, where we have great farmers. questions in Parliament trying to talk about the need for You will find cattle worth P100 000 and P30 000 there. this village to have a sewage system, because there are There are few Honourable Members who have farms malls cropping up. Some have to wait after assessments there and they know what I am talking about. If it can be as soon as they realise that the malls they want to build tarred, it would assist those farmers to feed this nation are going to need sewage system. So this is a concern. and develop that constituency such that in the end, we Furthermore, the Ministry of Land Management, Water have a service centre in that village which will assist and Sanitation Services is aware that our constituency those farmers. especially Letlhakane village shows that the water table is high and there is a high possibility to contaminate These are small villages so accommodation for public underground water which can cause diseases. These are servants is a challenge. Residents of those villages do some of the issues I discussed with the ministry. not have houses which can be rented. So we must also pay attention to it. The ministry of Local Government We need a treatment plant at Letlhakane to purify water, promised residents of Khwee a community farm. They it is too salty. Usually visitors will say, “why is your keep funding it but there is absolutely no activity that water so salty when you are surrounded by so many is taking place. These are some of the issues which are mines?” This is a concern Mr Speaker, nowadays we no bothering us. This is a great idea which was going to longer talk about treatment, we wonder why at Boteti

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we cannot be connected to the dams so that we can get he should not forget to mention the sewage system at our water supply from there because when you drive Letlhakane as you were saying that it is growing. I thank from Francistown, it is only 200 kilometres to get there. you. We also want that connection. MR LELATISITSWE: Thank you so much. I said it in Mr Speaker, the way this village is growing, it is time Setswana or you wanted me to mention it in English, it to do environmental assessments for things such as is kgopo ya metsi (sewage system) my friend. landfill or an incinerator in the village. Dumping site is no longer suitable for this village because it is now a When it comes to land allocation Mr Speaker; people of big village. Letlhakane village will beat us up regarding this issue.

Internal roads at Letlhakane are shocking Mr Speaker, HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification. but buses use them day and night. This is a concern. We MR LELATISITSWE: People of Letlhakane village want these internal roads, Ministry of Local Government waited for land allocation for a long time without and Rural Development should address such. There was being allocated land. Mr Speaker, this is a concern. money allocated to this plan, called spatial plan which Allocation of land is a problem at Letlhakane village. indicated that Letlhakane village should be given priority Waiting lists are abnormal because people came from as a village that is turning urban but when developments all corners of Botswana to apply for land at Letlhakane are made it seems like this plan is ignored. So officers but the waiting list is still long. Since the Minister of should ensure that they implement this plan Mr Speaker. Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services Mr Speaker, we have a brigade… implemented a policy to allocate land even where there is minimum land servicing, maybe this will help. HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification! Mr Speaker, let me indicate that we grew up at the MR LELATISITSWE: I will yield for you later. cattle-posts where we also ploughed. I will continue talking about this issue, people of Boteti… HONOURABLE MEMBER: No, yield for me now. HONOURABLE MEMBER: Elucidation. MR LELATISITSWE: Letlhakane Brigade Mr Speaker… MR LELATISITSWE: …say they should be allowed to plough at the cattle-posts. Maybe the borehole HONOURABLE MEMBER: Elucidation, Honourable Member. certificate should be written, “integrated borehole certificate” so that you can plough for your cattle and for MR LELATISITSWE: …it is big and it offers many your own consumption but there should be recognition courses of which we wish that it can be upgraded to a that the Government is leasing that land to you. The technical college more so that Debswana has expressed other point is that we no longer have land, it should be interest in collaborating with this brigade. So Honourable reduced from six kilometres to three kilometres so that Balopi’s ministry should fast-track this thing so that we people can start utilising land between boreholes. Mr can have a vocational training at Letlhakane village. Speaker, these are concerns at our constituencies. Let us empower Batswana by making such decisions Mr HONOURABLE MEMBER: Elucidation. Speaker. MR LELATISITSWE: Mr Speaker, as I have already indicated that Letlhakane village is surrounded by HONOURABLE MEMBER: Elucidation. mines and it is the gateway to Makgadikgadi, we need MR LELATISITSWE: The issue of unemployment is a district hospital which is in the National Development rife at our constituency because people migrate there. Plan (NDP) 11. We need it Mr Speaker. It falls under my ministry but I am speaking as a Member of Parliament I believe that the President’s initiatives are excellent. for Boteti… There are some simple ones which the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development should ASSISTANT MINISTER OF AGRICULTURAL implement. I have two young people at my constituency DEVELOPMENT AND FOOD SECURITY (MS who I believe if a decision can be taken that these cameras MANAKE): Point of elucidation. Thank you Mr could be outsourced to the youth, then they record our Speaker. Let me remind the Honourable Member that proceedings and send them to Botswana Television

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(BTV) to edit. We have a young person like Tshephang are superior to others. I believe that is one of the main Morolong, he has a studio and big cameras, their studio issues in the Constitutional review. I believe it should be is called The Flame TV. We also have a person like done quickly, we are waiting for it. Joe, same goes for him, he has a studio called Teemane Productions. I believe that young people from Boteti can Mr Speaker, I have stated that Boteti, has many mines be engaged rather than engaging people from Serowe surrounding it. So it is very important that we have a during the President and Vice President’s visits to the conversation… constituency who then Government will have to pay for DR GOBOTSWANG: On a point of order Mr Speaker. their accommodation costs and other things. There is an Mr Speaker, I do not know when was the last time we excellent suggestion by Honourable Thapelo Letsholo, talked about this issue of rule of law that we way the I believe the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport law is, we should take it the way it is. So I am surprised and Culture Development will endorse it and ensure that that Honourable Lelatisitswe is saying as a tribe, there youth with cameras all over the country are supported. is no other tribe that can come and control them, I think They can record content and send it to BTV for editing. he said they are independent. The Constitution of this Mr Speaker, they can create their own jobs going forth. country, which his Government of the BDP is praising The other huge issue we have at Boteti Mr Speaker is a lot, is clear that Batswapong and Babirwa are under decentralisation. Boteti area is big, therefore Honourable Bangwato. So he will mislead the nation Mr Speaker. Molale, the time has come for it to be independent and If the Constitution is unchanged Honourable Member, become a full district. When the delimitation process that is how it is, whether you like it or not. Thank you comes, there should be consideration to have a third Mr Speaker. Member of Parliament. I want Boteti East, Boteti West MR SPEAKER: Order! Order! Honourable Dr and Boteti Central as the third constituency. We want Gobotswang, there is no law like that. There is absolutely three constituencies in this district. Mr Speaker if you no point of order. think of the Vice President’s constituency which is from Maun to Orapa, how many kilometres is that? It is a MR LELATISITSWE: Thank you Mr Speaker that huge responsibility, so we need a third constituency we before the end of the day, you already agree with can call Boteti Central. Honourable Unity Dow. We thank you Honourable Member, you were addressing a serious issue. As Mr Speaker, let me indicate that as people of Boteti, we continue, I said there are many mines. The time we are eagerly awaiting the Constitutional review has come to start to have a conversation as people of mentioned by the President. We are eagerly waiting for constituencies that are surrounded by mines. Let us it, that review is important in Botswana so that all tribes have a deliberate rule or a law that states that when can be recognised, it is one of the issues which can be companies do big projects next to villages, they should reviewed. Sometimes you will find that some people assist on issues like roads, clinics, sewerage and water are working for someone, and are no longer serving the treatment plants in those villages. Their employees stay people who elected them. This is politics. So sometimes in these villages and they are the ones who pollute these you will find that some people are confused, they think villages a lot compared to the people they found in those place. We should start having conversations about these that they have been elected by someone here whereas issues Mr Speaker, without hesitation. We should talk they have been elected by the nation. Those are some of about them in future so that villages that are surrounded the things we witnessed even in the last elections. People by these mines can start conversations in order for these did not vote based on the policies a party had, they voted people to be assisted in future. on the direction of someone saying do this. We should Mr Speaker, developments; I believe we should start start a genuine conversation with our constituents. Even having conversations about Public Private Partnerships those at Boteti, I always discuss these issues with them (PPPs). Right now as we have many problems which I that we are independent as a tribe. There is no tribe that indicated that Government should have a genuine policy can come to control us. So they should know that when of… we review the Constitution. Some believe that another tribe can control them and things like these should be MR LESASO: Elucidation Mr Speaker. Thank you addressed so that tribes can be independent. We should Mr Speaker. I want to address this issue that villages give them powers without any tribe thinking that they that surround Orapa, which is where the employees of

30 Hansard No 200 Thursday 26th November, 2020 RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH Motion (Resumed Debate)

the mine come from, there is a lot of poverty in those and Infrastructure Development (LIMID) programme, villages. Do you not think it would be a good idea to do just one small thing, increase the money they have that when Debswana makes their yearly budget, there been purchasing goats with. They should say a goat is should be a clause they can use to invest money in these P1, 500. When you increase that money to P1, 500, you villages to develop them and it be something they can empower farmers. There is no money that can come do annually? from Honourable Beauty Manake, she can give power to the farmer to know that the goat he is taking care of MR LELATISITSWE: Thank you Honourable Lesaso. has a high value. She has just come up with a word and That is why I yielded for you. I know that you are a she has not given them money. Do not give them money calm person, who will address things that can develop anymore, just give them the word and you will just see the village going forward. Those are the ideas that I am things happening. talking about that the time has come to have… Artists of this country Mr Speaker are overwhelmed; MR MOATLHODI: On a point of order Mr Speaker. Disc Jockeys (DJs), all groups, I believe we have many Thank you Mr Speaker. No Mr Speaker, I do not agree with the words that Honourable Minister is saying to the of them in Boteti. Member of Parliament for Shoshong, he said he knows Issues of tourism; we have a lot of tourism there. that he is a calm person, which means that those who We have Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), have been requesting for him to yield and he refused, Makgadikgadi Game Park and Orapa Game Park. Let he is directly imputing improper motives on us that we us try to allocate plots to Batswana in the Boteti region, are stupid. That is a very very wrong idea Mr Speaker. they should be allocated plots at CKGR. We should see Please admonish him. a lodge at CKGR being owned by the youth of Boteti. MR SPEAKER: That is your interpretation Honourable We should see lodges at Makgadikgadi Pans and Orapa Member. I do not think we can put that to him. Game Park. We should create jobs for ourselves. Right now when you try to ask, you will realise that people do MR LELATISITSWE: Thank you Mr Speaker. Mr not take these issues seriously. Speaker, in conclusion, let me thank Karowe Company which is trying in terms of assistance like Honourable In conclusion Mr Speaker, the President talked about Lesaso said. That is not according to the law, they are the involvement of Bogosi in politics. He indicated just helping with their initiative of corporate social that we know that Bogosi builds a nation. Dikgosi investment. I want it to be according to the law for them are people who unite people. Dikgosi should not be to assist these villages and make them better. You will involved in politics. Dikgosi are people that when we find that it is a problem Honourable Member because have a problem as a nation, we turn to. So what we are boreholes dry up, they have taken the grazing land and witnessing nowadays is a concern. In my constituency, so on. there is a video that all Members of Parliament have Moving on to issues of Gender-Based Violence (GBV); Mr Speaker, in which a man who is said to be a Kgosi let me indicate that the time has come to stop talking, to for some people is going all over the places. He can stop holding workshops and come with laws that when even go to my parents in Letlhakane and say to them, someone commits this act, they are arrested and the “Lelatisitswe is just a nobody.” However, during his next day they appear before court and can be prosecuted tenure we gave him all the respect, myself included. I when the case is still new. We know that in South Africa am not somebody who likes talking about these issues, when you commit a traffic offence, on Monday you but it causes concern that a person who was on our side appear before court. There is nothing like waiting for not so long ago has turned against us. How do you go months. I think that the time has come that we also have to my parents and them tell them that I am nothing? to view these cases that way. We should stop talking, This just shows the character of a person you are. The holding workshops and a whole lot of other things we people of Boteti, we have been watching these things. are doing. When you follow such an individual, know that you are not doing justice to your children because we see these Mr Speaker, I strongly believe that this initiative of things happening. As the people of Boteti, let us desist bucks by the President, is a good one as it improves from following the likes of Dr Gobotswang of Sefhare breeds. I want the Ministry of Agricultural Development because he believes that this man is his God, together and Food Security with their Livestock Management with his tribe…

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DR GOBOTSWANG: Procedure. I thank you Mr MR SPEAKER: Order! Order! If you said that and we Speaker. I hear Honourable Lelatisitswe talking about were in Mapoka, I would give him a few lashes on the things that I never said anywhere. He is saying I said back. some people are my gods and so forth. Mr Speaker, he should withdraw those words and not involve me HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Laughter!)… in such utterances. He is the one who was paraded by MR SPEAKER: Now, since here we are in Parliament, Kgosikgolo, he has benefited from him, so stop being I do not know what the Honourable Minister was jealous and allow us to reap something from Kgosikgolo referring to, whether it is Honourable Moatlhodi or an too. I thank you. elderly person where he comes from in Boteti. Maybe it MR SPEAKER: What are you fighting for? is their culture, I am not getting involved.

HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)... MR MAJAGA: Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me an opportunity to comment… MR SPEAKER: Oh, is that what you are fighting for? DR TSHABANG: Point of order. Mr Speaker, I believe MR LELATISITSWE: No, Mr Speaker, I believe I am called Honourable Dr Never Tshabang, so that man there is no one who does not know that this man was should not misbehave. This is the second time… called many names when he was still on our side. I am surprised because even my friend Never Tshabang was HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Laughter!)… eating with him in the same dish. Never is someone I have been acquainted with for a long time. They were MR SPEAKER: I cannot hear you. eating together, but he knows that that person does not DR TSHABANG: I was saying, when he refers to me, wish that could become a full district because he should call me honourable, he should not just say he believes his powers would be reduced. As the people Never… of Boteti, the people who hold meetings with him back at our constituency, we are warning you that let HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Laughter!)… us deviate from the idea of being tamed by someone; there is no one who can keep us like we are his slaves, DR TSHABANG: It is for the second time Mr Speaker we are independent. Mokhurutshe that side knows that that when he concludes his debate he provokes me and a Mokhurutshe is not someone who can be tamed. Even then he dodges me and resumes his seat because his back in the olden days, Bakhurutshe were not given time would be up. I am observing him. Please call him strokes on the back at the main Kgotla, where this to order. elderly person comes from. Mokhurutshe knows, but others such as the likes of Never could be lashed, but MR SPEAKER: You have already rebuked him. Mokhurutshe could not be lashed. MR MAJAGA: Thank you Mr Speaker. As I am just HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Applause!)… beginning my debate, there is a fracas, and I do not know what is going on. MR MAJAGA (NATA-GWETA): I thank you Mr Speaker. Thank you for the opportunity you have given I am also thankful for the opportunity to comment on me so that I could also… the State of the Nation Address (SONA), where the President apprised the nation about this country; how MR MMOLOTSI: Procedure. Mr Speaker, looking at the country is doing and the progress we have made so the procedures of the House, I do not think it will be far. Mr Speaker, as I start, I would like to inform this procedural to let the Assistant Minister get away with House that I have three SONA speeches here. The first saying an elderly person could be lashed, referring to one is for the 5th November 2018, when His Excellency Honourable Moatlhodi. We have to know that this House was sworn in. I also have the 2019 speech and the leads by example in the country. If we can just continue current one. I have them because when some things are throwing words around, we are derailing the children said here, it seems we are picking things from all over whom we are supposed to teach proper Setswana. I can the place but we would be referring to things that are see that Honourable Molale and His Honour the Vice purported to have been said here, but at times, they are President are shouting, but please Honourable Members, not captured in here. On the other hand, they could be let us bring decorum in this House.

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there but people would say them in a different way. Khama who just retired a few years back, he was Kgosi and a soldier. Right now we have His Excellency the Let me continue by saying, I have my Hansards here, President Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi who which have captured my comments at that time. There was a teacher, he is also a farmer. So I am asking myself were serious issues back then and the Hansard can bear that, since this pattern has always been there, some witness for me in regard to what I said at that time. I am people here do other things on the side and they have not someone who likes saying something and then deny their professions, why is this changing now because the what I said. When things happen, as leaders we have only thing that can change this pattern is the Constitution to do things properly knowing very well that we have since governs this state? The Constitution of Botswana come to this House because we were sent by people; is the same as the American Constitution, the majority we have come to represent the concerns of the people rules. The outcomes of the elections are the final say. So in their country. we honour those who are appointed by the Constitution; Mr Speaker, as I start, let me thank the President of this The President, Vice President, Ministers and others. country from the time he ascended to the Presidency We do that not by jealousy but constitutionally, putting until now. Let me thank him for the efforts he keeps other things aside because they will just waste our time. implementing, during these difficult times. When he HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification. took over, we experienced things we did not know before, which no one ever dreamt of, no one knew that MR MAJAGA: These things have to be in this House… we would be facing a pandemic like COVID-19. Let me also thank his Vice and all Members of Parliament HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification. across the aisle because they are the 12th Parliament, and they are supposed to fulfil the assignment they were MR MAJAGA: …so that we understand them. I am an given by God and the people out there. old boy here, I am not a new comer, I am not Jonah just come, no! Even politics, I come with it from far back We are here Honourable Members, when we discuss our but I am proud of myself as a Member of Parliament. I issues, let us know that we are people’s representatives, cannot be jealous of Honourable Minister Rakgare, no and nothing else. A time for other things will come, it he is my boss, and he is my Minister. I give him the is not yet time; as you can see that we are almost in honour that he deserves because that is the Constitution, 2021, 2023-2024 are there. Other things would be even though I know that I am an old boy in the House done at their proper place where there is no young or old, and that is where we shall address those. Those but that one is clear, he knows it too. who will make it will come again in 2024, as it is the HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Applause!)… procedure of democracy. We cannot be fighting about non-existent things, showing that we know too much MR MAJAGA: So these things… in this House. That does not help. In this House, we HONOURABLE MEMBER: Procedure Mr Speaker. have to see where we are taking this country, where are we taking Batswana. Our laws, all these policies, MR MAJAGA: …if we can go along with them… how do we align them looking at the challenges ahead of us; whether we agree with each other or not. That HONOURABLE MEMBER: Procedure. is our duty as politicians. Well that is the case; we are MR MAJAGA: …they are going to waste our time not supposed to agree on everything. We would not be because the country is not going to stop… creatures whom even God even desires; being those who agree to everything. MR SPEAKER: Procedure…

Let me explain that as I show appreciation, we have had MR MAJAGA: …it is governed by the Constitution. several Presidents; the first one was Kgosi Sir Seretse Khama, who was also a lawyer. We had Former President MR SPEAKER: Honourable Mmolotsi... Dr Quett Ketumile Joni Masire who was a teacher and MR MAJAGA: Give me time, I did not… a farmer. We had Former President Mr Gontebanye Festus Mogae who was an economist and a businessman MR SPEAKER: Honourable Majaga, you have to… and other portfolios. We then had Former President Dr (Inaudible)…

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MR MAJAGA: …interrupt anyone. it was one of the key points that the President touched when he campaigned for this office. We noticed that MR MMOLOTSI: Procedure. Mr Speaker, I can there was a trace that shows that something is being hear that Honourable Majaga wants to make it seem done because Constitutional review is not just a small like Ministers are bosses of Members of Parliament, thing that can be done in a single day. but it is not like that, we know that we have separation of powers; the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. We also have to know that as politicians, we are Ministers are just independent there and Members of sometimes called politically exposed people even Parliament are also independent on the other side. though sometimes we do not benefit anything from being politically exposed. When you get there, this MR SPEAKER: Honourable Majaga, continue. There and that is said, just because we assist people on this is no procedure. journey; earth and Botswana. Some people depend on MR MAJAGA: Thank you comrade, my friend us because as a political figure, if you say something, it Wynter, my office neighbour at Parliament. What I am can generate money for some people or it can work to trying to show is that they are Ministers and Presidents peoples` advantage. We have to review this law going because of the Constitution. The issue of status, saying forward because even when you try to form a company, that one is a bosses is the one that waste people’s time. when you apply for funding, they look at this temporary Whether you are a boss or what, I do not give you job that one will be doing for five years as if it is my time because I believe that you are just a human permanent and pensionable, and sooner than later you being. Even at the ministries, these are the things that are forgotten, they forget that you were once a Member delay developments, people only focus on their senior of Parliament, just like some of my predecessors who positions, that they have Masters, they are Drs and were once in this Parliament. So when we fail to rectify sometimes one will be a useless Dr.... these things to our own advantage and then expect to advocate for other people, we are going to be in trouble. HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Laughter!)… During the 11th Parliament, I am one of the four people MR MAJAGA: You can be a Public Health Dr who who proposed salary increment from the P16 000 that is supposed to make sure that the environment is clean we were getting and some people supported us while only for you to find the city full of litter and then you some feared to air their opinions because apparently wonder if the Public Health Dr… they were scared of someone. I then said that we will see HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Murmurs)… if that person is above God because as far as I know, he is the only one who can take your life when he wants to. MR MAJAGA: …does not see that the town or the If you can fear what someone is going to say, even when village is dirty. you always hear about what is happening in the world; HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Applause!)… people being killed by tornados and other disasters, including COVID, and then you fear being imprisoned MR MAJAGA: The issue of positions delay people for saying that you want a salary increment or that form thinking and this delays a whole lot of things. someone is not fit enough to be doing the job that he/she is doing…no, as long as you respect the law of this great Moving on Mr Speaker, I will not talk about many other republic, then you are entitled to your opinion hence issues which concerns of the country, what I am going you have air it confidently. We have to understand these to talk about is that we agreed that the Constitution things. is the backbone here. If Constitutional review can be done, that is when we are going to see things which When I look at the State of the Nation Address (SONA), were uttered by my friend Wynter Mmolotsi regarding I am troubled by how the President talked about the separation of powers and other appropriate things being economic outlook, but we should support anyway. As implemented here. Being able to do other things which the nation, especially Legislators, let us support and are being done by other countries. Let us pray, last time share ideas; that since we are in the middle of a pandemic Minister Morwaeng explained that commission or those which has consumed all the funds, post COVID, we who have been given the mandate to review this thing should stop complaining about this pandemic because have already started to do amendments as agreed since at the end we are not going to think. So, let us work

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together, support each other and see a way forward after Marina Hospital is overwhelmed because of shortage of COVID, as we are getting into 2021. We should come capacity and resources, if you go to emergency you will up with ideas on how we can assist Dr Matsheka and see problems that you have never seen before. Ministry of finance and Economic Development so that they know that they have our support, we should see how HONOURABLE MEMBERS: Elucidation. we can do virements which can develop this country so MR MAJAGA: I saw them last time. If we can do as to get rid of the predicaments of COVID. We have that, that hospital will remain a referral. It has been 54 seen how the first quarter and the last quarter have years without capacity at Princess Marina. Look at our been, the next quarter we have to come up with some population; it has doubled, not only considering places initiatives, ideas which can back up Ministry of Finance like Jackalas where I come from, Maun and but and Economic Development and other stakeholders to the country as a whole. see a way forward. HONOURABLE MEMBERS: Elucidation. Moving on, time is not on my side. When I go to Page 4 and 5 and look at the domestic economic review and MR MAJAGA: We can then go to Kasane and build a outlook that I am talking about, we will notice that Page world class hospital. I am not saying it is not important 6 is about COVID-19 Response Plan, and that is the to build a hospital in areas like Tonota, Moshupa and others, they are on the plan and they are going to be point that needs our attention because what happens built. on the ground, Government tried to offer support, subsidies and other things since we are in a pandemic. We have to do justice to tourism sector so that white Let me plead with the President, Vice President and people can be rest assured, where they will pick this ministers like Dr Matsheka of Finance and Economic economy and fly in that international airport so that Development and Honourable Serame that, things are when they are at Victoria Falls, Ngoma and Livingstone, not being done properly when it comes to subsidies. they can come for medical services at Kasane, thereby When you get to Maun and Kasane, people there are making our tourism grow. We can do the same at Maun. We have to move that airport so the old one can be complaining, whether it is the tourism industry or any used by taxis and small flights that go to the deltas. We other industry, companies are cheating the government would have done much to unlock for post COVID-19 to when it comes to doing what is right for Batswana. If economic recovery which we are longing for because you go to North Gate Lodge in Gweta right now, people tourism is our only hope. With diamonds, we have will tell you that they have not received salaries, they realised that those who come at the mines usually come have not been given subsidies, and the owner of the to make profit just as it is the case at African Copper, place says that the subsidies are theirs. When you go to at . With tourism, we can bank there because Kasane and Maun, the same thing is happening there. we have a diverse tourism unlike Seychelles, ours is the issue of subsidies; let us pay attention on the ground rich and if proper arrangements can be made, we will to see if the right beneficiaries receive those benefits or benefit going forth. I was talking about the condition of else we are going to have challenges even though we hospitals at Kasane and Gaborone that we are looking had a big plan to care for our nation… into that issue as they are already included on the plan. So let us build those hospitals but also target areas where HONOURABLE MEMBER: Elucidation. our economy may improve. MR MAJAGA: Honourable, wait before I lose my Moving on Mr Speaker, as I do not have control over our momentum. Moving on Mr Speaker, I will now talk time, I challenge Minister Rakgare, my youthful friend. about health issues. I am saying this issue because I cannot do that to some members who come from last time I was hurt not by the Government, but by the north because they might think that is inappropriate. I existing arrangement which the Government is trying. will only do this to members who come from south. I During this period of State of Emergency (SOE), we will offer them assistance during campaigns, if it fails, have frontline officers such as health officials and I will register my own company and help people to win officers from the Ministry of Defence, Justice and elections as a consultant… Security, so my request is that, when funds are available we should build a district hospital in Gaborone. Princess HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Laughter!)…

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MR MAJAGA: …and charge those who wish to as getting a position. You will also hear someone who win elections. Ministry of Youth, I plead with you is unemployed saying they want to become a Director. Honourable Rakgare and Honourable Buti Billy, 60 per Ah! ah! cent of our population comprises of young people, so they are looking up to you, the country is also looking HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Laughter!)… up to you. You are doing great so far and your efforts MR MAJAGA: You will wonder how? So we must are notable. So do something about these issues, hurry be straight when discussing some issues. There are no up and make some amendments so you can unlock, find roads but they indicated that they delayed to maintain how you can collaborate with other ministries so that Francistown-Nata road. I went to Nata-Maun and Maun- you can create jobs. Those from the creative industry , I spend most of my time at Sekondomboro are complaining, maybe you should give them some at Maun and Ngami at Honourable Hikuama’s subsidy just as we requested you to donate some food constituency and it is a problem. I will remain hopeful to the people and we failed. So contact artists and have because some of the consultants are at the site. We went meetings with them, assess COVID-19 regulations and to areas like Dzoroga and Gweta so you do not think I am responsible for this issue, that I am failing. How can come up with a plan concerning what can be done. I manage a road which is worth P1 billion, I mean since Where it is possible for a person to become a Master I have nothing? People may think you are failing to do of Ceremony (MC), or anyone who usually performs your job, forgetting that this is the plan of Government. during such occasions, let that person benefit from these Right now the President is making efforts through his things and become a MC so they can earn something. directives being covered by the SOE, he may instruct If it is music where they play a disc like a Disk Jockey us to go and maintain a clinic in a certain area. Do you (DJ), give them a chance and also ensure that COVID-19 think I have that power? So I will not keep quiet in this House but speak on behalf of my constituents. You must protocols are observed, leave those youths so that they go there and witness these things for yourselves so you can generate income because they are hard-hit and can assist me. As my colleague, Dr Kwape is a Minister, they have nothing to do. Look into these things in a he once visited Mosetse Clinic and Nata Clinic to see relevant manner so these people would not think they do whether the capacity that I was talking about is similar not have representative even though you are there and to the one in Gaborone, it is overtaken by events because making efforts. We and other ministries will offer you of the population. support so that we can realise post COVID-19, without So those roads Honourable Members… I am still having many challenges. pleading with you to pray with me so I can have roads Transport; Honourable Members, I come from a wide in that floods storm area. I wish the same would be done constituency called Nata-Gweta which has various for Mohembo because they are part of Botswana roads challenges. You all know that it was declared floods and they make our economy to grow. It is inappropriate storm area. You saw what happened last time when to talk about only those who lead to your constituency. rains started falling just as they are starting to fall right We have to do the same for all those major roads which now. I do not have roads but I want to thank Honourable make our economy to grow. With your support, I will Segokgo, and Honourable Morwaeng because they drove go somewhere. to my constituency two or three times. They witnessed I brought a Motion on National Road Agency to this what is happening there because sometimes when you House and it was approved. We also approved a Motion talk, people will think you are simply campaigning in on Gender Based Violence (GBV) here, so I want us order to win elections again. Yes, we will always want to also approve this one as well. Honourable Serame to win elections. Everyone wants to win and others have since you are acting on behalf of Honourable Segokgo, been campaigning, some spent 20 years campaigning. I want to see a Bill here next time which supports my So if I lose, I will continue to campaign just as my Motion. Let us build tollgates starting from Tshaathoka predecessors have been doing. at Nata so trucks can pay. Let us ensure that we charge HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Laughter!)… bridge fee at Kasane. I am a consultant these days and I make sure that people win elections. So I usually tour MR MAJAGA: I do not know where I will end up with the country and I went to Kasane last time. I am serious it. So when you raise these issues, people think you are about that, if I do not die, you will see wonders in this campaigning. Yes, we want to win because it is the same country.

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HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Laughter!)… given 20, we have already made 20 million; those trusts have got money, but we are robbed by agents, maybe for MR MAJAGA: I went there. Guess what happened? some it is their source of income yet we are expected to Trucks were packed on the other side of Lesoma and keep quiet. they ended up allowing them to pass through a new bridge without even charging them. That is where MS MONNAKGOTLA: Elucidation. Thank you we go wrong. Let us make a tollgate at Nata and start Honourable Majaga. You are flowing very well, I can charging bridge fee so that we generate money that we even see the Minister of Finance and Economic paying can use to develop our roads. If you travel to Zimbabwe attention; Ministers are paying attention to you with up to Victoria Falls, they charge P400.00 and they adoration. do not negotiate. So we cannot manage to walk over You are completely right, tourism is the main source of so many countries of Southern African Development revenue in the country. The Minister of Environment, Community (SADC). How are we going to manage it Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism should since we do not have money? No Honourable Members, visit your constituency Honourable Majaga and see Honourable Segokgo and Honourable Serame, let us these things, she should also visit the mine at Kang to make sure that we approve that Bill. If we fail, we can see that we have resources which can generate revenue make a partnership and construct tarred roads, build for this country and uplift the economy. These are things those houses and rent them out because people are we can be grateful for if Honourable Minister Kereng willing to pay. Let me pass that one and note that these can visit your constituency and ours at Kgalagadi to situations should be considered and addressed, tollgates see these things, then we continue generating revenue. should be implemented. That bridge will dilapidate Thank you. because we like assisting everyone. MR MAJAGA: Thank you Honourable Talita of Mr Speaker, like I said we should take the tourism Kgalagadi. I continue to say, we can do that then sector seriously. We know that as someone said earlier, Batswana will have faith in us because we are the ones if you go to Maun, Kasane and Nata all members who should be at the forefront of the economy of this of Community Trusts… I am a Chairman of that country and be innovative. Committee of Tourism, Wildlife and Climate Change. We went with Honourable Brooks and Leader of the We should focus on ministries. Honourable Members, Opposition a few days back, we witnessed serious the time has come, since we know that after five years if issues; members of those trusts do not have leases and you have not achieved anything, you are not voted. The concessions. In my constituency, there is a concession same goes for ministries, you should work hard. If you taken from Gwezotshaa. I do not know the person who talk like this you are castigated and labelled as being stole those concessions but that person will never get to negative. There are people who always lose tenders yet heaven. How can that person steal from so many trusts? they always apply. When Honourable Manake applies for example, they will say, “ah! Markus also tried so she The situation worsen when you travel to Nata Sanctuary will also try.” Whereas we are the ones who are making and Maun. So you begin to wonder how come you give things difficult in Government. Some people here did a person such a huge asset then you make them poor. not make it yet they will make us suffer, I like… Ah! Some people are not afraid of God, they will answer for their sins in heaven. That is how evil those people MR SPEAKER: Order! Order! Honourable Majaga, are. Vice President even by the time there is a delegation you will continue after the health break. Honourable that will be sent to America, I want to go so that I can Members, let us go for the COVID-19 break. negotiate the sale of elephants without using agents who rob Batswana. Yes, we are going to make billboards at PROCEEDINGS SUSPENDED AT 4:00 P.M. FOR Dallas, America… APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES

HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Applause!)… PROCEEDINGS RESUMED AT 4:30 P.M.

MR MAJAGA: …then we sell to our trusts. I will be MR SPEAKER: Order! Order! Honourable Members. there. So, simple. They are bought for U$75 000, U$ 50 When we adjourned Honourable Majaga was on the 000. Imagine! When we were at Nata-Gweta, we were floor and is left with nine minutes.

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MR MAJAGA: Thank you Mr Speaker. I am continuing hospital, we can do that after COVID-19, then plan and with issues of my constituency of Nata-Gweta, I have a prioritise properly, it is possible. That can help. problem Mr Speaker. I implore Ministers and the Vice President, since it is his region to inspect my schools. Nata Level 1 Hospital has long been allocated a plot I have long invited Ministers but to date they have not but is still not built. Clinics like Mosetse Clinic, there honoured my invite. Starting from Gweta, if you look is Mowana mine so Mosetse village has grown but at Gweta Community Junior Secondary School, it is the it is still a health post. It has long been in District only one in the entire country with classrooms built of Development Plan (DDP) 7 and 8 to date…If there are out asbestos and I do not know what the problem is. Up funds, the Ministry of Health and Wellness should go to Sowa…that constituency also has a lot of settlements, and build those clinics at Tsokatshaae and Manxotai. people come from Tsokatshaa, Sepako and Manxotai to There are health posts but the villages have grown so Sowa, children are boarding, there is no accommodation these infrastructures need to be upgraded to the relevant for both students and teachers. standard.

I implore Mr Mzwinila to leave a mark at Sowa; he I will discuss that pervious issue; I had intentionally deviated from it but as I am on the floor some people should allocate land there so that people can build from Kasane and Maun are sending me messages houses. Teachers need accommodation because it talking about this issue of trusts. Those at the deltas is impossible to get it from Sowa, there are old 1990 have been sending me messages that they have three Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) houses which years and they cannot do anything because they do not were built when Sowa mine opened and there was plenty have leases. So, you can see that this issue affects the of land. Some people could have long been allocated whole country including even Kgalagadi maybe even land and even built themselves houses there. I do not Bokspits at Honourable Brooks’s constituency. Maybe know why this is so difficult. there are such situations. This is an issue the Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Sowa Block 3 plots were serviced through that project Tourism should address because there seems to be a by Honourable Mzwinila, my former Minister at a cost problem here, there is no how there can be such a huge of P52 million. Right now, the money has escalated, outcry. So, when we retire we will also venture into this it is now P200 million before the project is handed business because it seems to be more profitable yet we over. That land and those schools up to Nata should be were never told about it, we were wasting our efforts in refurbished if funds are available. COVID-19 will pass, cattle farming. These things should quickly be corrected. we will pray that it does. Mines at my constituency; I have Mowana Mine. Minister ASSISTANT MINISTER OF LOCAL Moagi, I implore that you visit Dukwi-Mosetse. It is a GOVERNMENT AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT gambling mine. I am the one who did the old drilling. I (MR MODUKANELE): Clarification. Thank you was the first man to be employed there drilling. So I know Honourable Speaker. Thank you Honourable Majaga. that mine like the back of my hand, up to Matsitama. Earlier on, if I may take you back two seconds, you However there is a problem that this mine is owned by mentioned a very good idea when you talked about Honourable Molebatsi, if he makes profit he abandons hospitals. Maybe you can expand it a bit, going forward it, when Honourable Machana Shamukuni takes it, after he leaves, Honourable Sethomo Lelatisitswe takes over. we should come with a health plan which dovetail It is a gambling mine. That is why I once suggested that with Special Economic Zones (SEZs). That way your Botswana Government should be 50 per cent shareholder point was, if we build hospitals there, it is an economic in all mines. We should introduce that policy whether activity which is going to open doors in these areas, they are making profit or they are not making profit, young people can get employment and other things. we will be safeguarding employment for our people, Thank you. and also ensuring that other Batswana like the likes of Honourable Billy, when they retire from politics they MR MAJAGA: Thank you Honourable Member. If we will venture into mining. So those are issues we should can make such plan we would have done something best analyse in that nature. for our community. If you observe first world countries, they invest more in health. That is their priority. If Water in my constituency, Mosetse Dam has failed, we can do that at your constituency Honourable, you I have already requested prayers. I will request the have villages, headquarters then a centre of excellence Honourable Member, maybe Vice President, or His

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Excellency the President to go and officially tell us I would not have done the right thing if I conclude that it has failed because Mr Mokaila and the likes of without saying Mr Speaker, there are Dikgosi, and we Honourable Mzwinila, were afraid to declare that. There know our Constitution that the likes of Kgosi Khama, is no water in that constituency; it is salty water. We Kgosi Lotlamoreng, Kgosi Tawana resigned from request that when the Sowa Water Master Plan project chieftaincy and they joined politics without any problem. is completed, you should connect water at Ntimbale and We have ward headmen. There is a village I am from, I Shashe dams, which will go through Dukwi and then said the Kgosi of that village should not welcome me, it can go to Gweta and Mosetse. At Gweta, there has because I will be welcomed by a Secretary of a political organisation. So if that is the case, you will see where to long been talks of treatment plants, there are there on the take me, whether you chase me away from the country development plans, but they are not implemented, and it is okay, but I cannot work with him because he is people are already losing hope. People of Nata-Gweta a known politician. You will always keep on making Constituency, which is called Sebina-Gweta, have not things secretive, let him go to politics because there he done anything wrong like other constituencies, so I do is a civil servant, he is on contract. I will not allow him, not know if their prayers are not reaching heaven. you can fire me instead. I will not allow someone to HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Laughter!)… campaign from Sepako up to Mmea, Mmashoro while people are just looking at him, it is over with my Kgosi, MR MAJAGA: Many constituencies have done wrong get used to that. This other one who has many issues, things, we can mention them here, but it has been on who said because he is from a certain tribe... the right track. Or do you want it to go? No, do not do MR SPEAKER: Honourable Majaga, your time is up. that, just leave it the way it was. The situation in these jobs will make it to go because there is saying that, MR MAJAGA: No, let that Kgosi of Dukwi become ntša go fiwa ya teleki (you give to those who are active independent and leave me alone, even people do not and zealous). It is always deprived of everything as if want him. it is invisible, and those people are very smart. Not so HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Laughter!)… long ago they almost went to where Nkange went. So look into those issues Honourable Minister, go to those MR THIITE (GHANZI NORTH): Thank you Mr people, they like you. Speaker. Let me also take this time to respond to the President’s speech. Let me also address the issue of churches. We are thankful that the leadership has realised that churches Mr Speaker, before I get into this issue, let me ask can pray for this virus. These people are praying for a you to protect me. I have been listening to Members deadly virus as well as all the other infirmities, so you of Parliament responding to this speech, and you will should give them more time to pray as they will continue find that my colleagues encourage point of order, point to adhere to health protocols, not 30 minutes. There are of procedure, and time and again you rebuke them that those who are prophetic and led by the spirit. there is no procedure, there was no point of order. So My last issue is the one for Bogosi. The offices for Mr Speaker, let me say that, I request my colleagues Dikgosi have no resources. The programme of one to allow me to speak to the nation and people of my village per constituency by Mrs Tshireletso, failed in constituency at Gantsi. villages like Sepako, Tsokatshaa, Kutamogoree and I want to start by saying, we have to be careful that Lepashe, wherever she is I hope she is okay. It is an we have been debating in this Parliament, and there outcry. have been too mush rebuke from each other and also Let vehicles go back to Central Transport Organisation advising each other because some words we used are (CTO) and stop being taken to private garages, where not allowed in Parliament. Some of us here, especially you will find a vehicle from Francistown being repaired when it comes to the President, Dr , at Kasane, wow people! Are you saying we should I have realised that when some leaders here speak, they just leave these things as they are? Dikgosi should be forget that President Dr Masisi is the leader of the nation, provided with vehicles, they should have air conditioners he is our parent, he has a family as we know, and we so that they can do their jobs effectively. should rightfully give him the respect he deserves. This

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thing Honourable Members, as leaders of the country, MR THIITE: Yes Honourable Member, the Opposition we have been elected by Batswana, and their hopes are Honourable Member. that in this Parliament, we will bring their concerns and make laws, and be exemplary knowing that Batswana We often try to undermine that Domkrag was at the are listening to us. Since there has been a television elections and they made promises which they are failing broadcast, it seems like as leaders we forget that we are to fulfil, which is not true. Honourable Members, you leaders and when we speak Batswana think that the way remember that during the July sitting, and the time the we speak is okay. Corona pandemic started, we had many discussions, including the State of Emergency (SOE) and lockdown. I would also like to thank Honourable PPP Moatlhodi, They are things that we discussed in Parliament, realising most of the time when it comes to the President, he the situation that Botswana and the whole world were brings order, which shows that he is a good example of in. The global economic crisis that was brought by the a leader. Corona pandemic. We also know that we went into lockdown numerous times, which led to a collapse in HONOURABLE MEMBERS: ...(Applause!)... our economy. Even right now, it is not like the economy MR THIITE: There is a level of maturity that we need is back to where it is supposed to be, because this virus to understand that we are leaders of this country. is still prevalent, countries are still racing to find a cure, and opening for business so that we can move from this Honourable Members, one of the issues that has been discomfort. I would like to focus on what the President a concern for me like I was explaining that, as leaders, said regarding the pandemic. He said our economy has we say or do things here, even at home our children ask been negatively affected; he talked about the mining us whether the words we use in Parliament are proper sector. We know that part of our revenue is generated and you will find that as a parent, you do not know how from diamonds, and at the moment our international to respond to the child. Not so long ago, this issue has markets for diamonds have collapsed. This means at bothered me, one of the leaders of the Opposition visited the moment when we talk about the economy, and also my constituency for a meeting with his followers, and the promises that were made by the BDP (Domkrag), before his trip to the constituency there was a bad which is the ruling party, we should not forget that we incident , which as a leader I feel it is fitting that I talk are talking at a time when the economy has gone down. about it since it happened in my constituency. We have This does not only affect us, it is the same situation the seen Councillors of Opposition parties talking to a leader world over. on Facebook, sending audios, and some of them saying he is a destitute, these are issues that we should stand He also talked about manufacturing; we know that we against as leaders. Let me say Honourable Members, have manufacturing industries. Most of them are closed, we have to lead this country by example. With that said and businesses have lost their clientele, Batswana have Honourable Members, let us know that as we are in lost jobs and we know that we cannot charge tax to these industries like we are used to. When we talk about Parliament here, regardless of whether you came here as all these things Honourable Members, informing the a member of Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) nation, we should tell them the truth because we know or Domkrag (Botswana Democratic Party), we have to that we made promises to Batswana, we are not denying understand that Batswana are watching us as Members that, but we should not forget that we are talking at a of Parliament. With that said let me conclude on it Mr time when the economy has gone down. Speaker. When we talk about tourism, we know that tourism is I want to get into this main issue which is the State of one other critical sector that immensely contributes to the Nation Address (SONA). I am really concerned our economy. We know that hotels, lodges, campsites, about the way some of us respond to the President’s trusts were closed, all these meant that the economy speech, there are many things said by the Opposition in literally collapsed, there are challenges. I am grateful an attempt to undermined and criticise the President’s that the BDP (Domkrag) has never given up. There efforts, because their hope is to win in the next elections. are many things that I will continue mentioning which … the leader of this country President Masisi saw it fit to HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)… call his Cabinet and Parliament to discuss. When some

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leaders debated they denied all these things, and focused Botswana when we went for elections, giving promises on saying the BDP (Domkrag) and President Masisi to Batswana when we campaigned. The objective of the have failed. Honourable Members, we need to tell BDP (Domkrag) is that the President talked about an Batswana the truth, so that they would know such that, inclusive economy. His aim is to take the economy of in the quest to stimulate the economy, they would also this country and give it to indigenous Batswana. Right be part of those who understand the challenges faced by now, it is evident that as the economy has gone down, the country. We should do that as Honourable Members Government revenue having gone down, you can see of the 12th Parliament. that the President still has clear intentions.

We talked about the informal sector, we know that it was During this time, this Government came up with the severely affected, and we know that it does many things. COVID-19 response plan, being a relief package When we talk about tourism, if I may expand on it, it through which the Government popped out about has many sub-sectors. All these, Honourable Hikuama P4 billion, as funds to take care of the welfare of is my witness, he can also testify that COVID-19 has Batswana during lockdown, when the economy was not affected them because he comes from an area which is moving as we can see it happening now. Honourable a tourism hub. Members, I also wish to quote on Page 4 Mr Speaker, it reads, “Economic activity in emerging markets and Honourable Members, maybe I should say at the end of developing economies is projected to contract by 3.3 the day all these things have led to a loss of jobs, and the per cent in 2020, while growth in Sub-Saharan Africa happiness index has gone down, as we still have serious is expected to register minus 3.0 per cent. Hence, this is issues of Gender Based Violence (GBV) as well, where expected to be the worst economic crisis since the Great women are violated and so forth, there is rape in homes, Depression of the 1930s”. It is very important for us to everywhere. If you can recall about this situation, during tell Batswana this information without mincing it. We the first State of Emergency (SOE), I explained that we should not just come to Parliament to condemn President have to inform Batswana that when we say the economy Masisi’s Government when we know the truth, when we has gone down, there are going to be challenges. Some understand these issues and knowing very well that we of these challenges, have led to the escalation of GBV. need to tell Batswana the truth.

I have to point out that our Government is not just sitting In the COVID Response Relief Package, we know that back. Before I pass that one, let me also thank the frontline companies were given funds to enable them to pay their workers as the President also did. The doctors, nurses, employees for three months. The tax which was supposed to be paid by these companies was also deferred. We Dikgosi, Village Development Committees (VDCs), know that Government waived the training levy for Social Workers, police officers, soldiers, private sector about six months; there was a loan guarantee scheme. and the civil society. Honourable Members, I agree with All these things were done by President Masisi’s the President that we should thank these people because Government, and you can see that he is a true leader they walked this journey with us. who understands that when situations are like this, he has a responsibility to take care of Batswana. We have HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification to say these things unwaveringly. We know that there Honourable Member. was an increase in medical practices as we have things like quarantine. Hotels and lodges had to accommodate MR THIITE: I do not have enough time Honourable people who were on quarantine. Thousands of Pulas Member, please give me a chance to speak to Batswana, were used, and we know there was contact tracing and I will consider you at a later time. so forth, as well as food baskets which were given to people who were unable to provide for themselves at The other issue that one can ask themselves is that, that time. All these things showed that the Government during this period where the economy has collapsed dug deep from her pocket, yet there is nothing being globally. We can see on page 2 of the President’s speech injected into the economy. That is why certain things which reads, “As Government, we will strive to attain were put aside and we focused on the disease. a diversified and inclusive economy that will ensure a free, fair and prosperous Botswana guided by the So this whole year, we have to understand that the principle of “Leaving No One Behind”. That Honourable Government has been facing challenges. I saw that some Members is the purpose as presented by the President of two to three weeks ago, elections were held in some

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countries and leaders who did not take this pandemic during times like these, we should bear in mind that seriously lost elections. We can see that President Masisi Batswana are listening to us, and they want nothing but arose, and took care of the Government and the nation, the truth. he found it fitting to do something about these plans. I want to move on to one issue as I close my discussion Just recently during the July sitting of Parliament, we on ERTP and National Development Plan (NDP) 11 were discussing the National Development Plan (NDP) Review. Even though this budget would be approved, 11 Review, and whilst at that diamonds are not being The President indicated that there is still a need for more bought, and the Government is not collecting tax, the money. He pointed out that we still have challenges tourism industry which we know contributes revenue which require financial assistance. Mr Speaker if you has collapsed. The President found it fit to go and source allow me to quote on page 8 from the State of the Nation funds elsewhere to ensure that life continues. This came Address (SONA), do you allow me Mr Speaker... as a result of an addendum called the Economic Recovery Transformation Plan (ERTP). Robust Governments do MR SPEAKER: Please do, yes. things in this manner, like the government that is led by MR THIITE: “Government is currently looking at the President Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Masisi. We approved several options to finance these additional expenditure, all the progarammes together in Parliament. Honourable with a preference for domestic borrowing and additional Members, we understand that funds amounting to P14 revenue mobilisation. Where necessary, Government billion are going to be sourced in order to carry on with will consider other financing options to accommodate ERTP. We understand that it is not enough. The aim is any outstanding needs”. Honourable Members, the that we should not lag behind. topics that the President is talking about, if you recall, The President also talked about National Vision 2036, we are going back a little. The President long made that his economic diversity plans come with programmes these promises to Batswana. I remember that still that will ensure that we do not lag behind when it comes on this issue, on his Budget speech, the Minister of to fulfilling the promises that we made. We then realised Finance and Economic Development pointed out that that for us to do this, the economy has to be stimulated. he is going to review the procurement laws. He said The predicaments of COVID-19, we should be able to that Public Private Partnership (PPP) Policy is there. He move away from them as the government and as the said that he was going to review it to see what can be nation. Honourable Members, all these things have done to review policies and Acts so that we can be able delayed our plans and the promises that we made to to sustain the economy. During the July Parliament, Batswana during elections. We did not know that we there was an Instrument of Government Bond Issuance would be having a pandemic at this point in time... Programme which was presented before this House. It indicated that those are the options of sourcing funds in HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification. different ways. If you allow me Mr Speaker, I can quote MR THIITE: Honourable, wait. Let me proceed to on this document that was presented to us by Minister of explain that out of the Economic Stimulus Programmes Finance and Economic Development. (ESP) that were made, we know that there is Industry MR SPEAKER: Yes. Support Fund which amounts to P1,3 billion. As Members of Parliament of different constituencies, we MR THIITE: “Mr Speaker, I stand to request this have to be serious about all these things. We should Honourable House to authorise an increase in the Bond follow up the Economic Stimulus Programmes so Issuance Programme from the current P15 billion limit to that the economy can be stimulated. We should talk P30 billion. This request is in response to the COVID-19 to Batswana, and explain these things to them. When pandemic. As a result of COVID-19, Government had we come here, we have to tell Batswana the truth. We to revisit options for funding its budget particularly for should not disrepute people, no Honourable Members. the second half of the NDP 11”. Honourable Members, We are misleading the nation. Last year when we took let me elaborate these issues to Batswana, they are not oath here, we vowed to serve this country with nothing there because someone is failing or because Botswana else but the truth. I am challenging this Parliament, Democratic Party (BDP) is appeased by them. Due to both Botswana Democratic Party ( BDP) Members and these predicaments, the President was compelled to do Opposition members that when we make statements the needful. We managed to save the economy, the lives

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of Batswana and control the COVID-19 virus. We are Honourable Members, these projects have long proven still surviving and we are going forward. I also want that they are bankable and feasible. The issue is that to supplement the statement that was made by Minister they needed a political decision to see what we can do of Finance and Economic Development in his Budget to source funds to do these kinds of projects. Speech that, “it is not going to be business as usual”. I support this statement by saying, Minister of Finance I loved the statement that was made by Honourable and Economic Development we plead that you should Majaga. From this address, I did not understand clearly keep it up my brother. Let me advised that when we if there are any plans to construct tollgates. We have look three years back, I noticed that every financial Trans-Kalahari Highway, we know that South Africa year, our budget did not have growth. You could see is a Southern African Development Community that is it because we are looking at the same industries (SADC) economic hub hence most trucks pass through to generate income for us. Botswana to Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique and other areas. The countries that am listing have tollgates, we So next time, we should look at the Budget Speech have a situation of high import bill where we are losing with a different approach. Let us look at Budget Speech billions. If we can build tollgates in our roads, Trans- as a policy instrument which is meant to facilitate the Kalahari Highway, the Nata-Francistown-Mohembo private sector, and we should promote private funding. road that we are going to construct and A1 roads will We should not always depend on diamonds, tourism and assist us to generate income which will further assist us tax. We will increase tax that we pay at the organisations in terms of reducing our high import bill, we have to that we ask for funding from, International Monetary save money Honourable Members. Fund (IMF). We know that there are other options or private financing. When you look at the points that I just Honourable Members, I will move on to issues listed, we have to promote this issue, to see what we can concerning my constituency. I tabled a Motion to do to save the economy with PPP funding and so forth. Parliament last time requesting for a supplementary These are the things that we need at this point in time. budget. This is a very important issue and I would Our economy is overwhelmed, therefore we cannot only like to thank Honourable Members for approving it. In depend on the strategy that we have been using. my constituency, price is no longer P19.00 but ranges around P23.00 and I am not afraid to say this. Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry and all relevant Ministers, we plead that you should see what HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Applause!)… we can do to grow our economy so that the private MR THIITE: Farmers in Ghanzi North Constituency sector can be able to play a meaningful role in assisting and Honourable Motsamai’s Constituency, Ghanzi Government in accelerating developments. Maybe this South or Western Region are very happy because their can help us to create jobs and so forth. For example, economy has changed. Even the managers from the there is an issue of Zambezi Agro Development project banks in Ghanzi like First National Bank (FNB), Stanbic under the Ministry of Agricultural Development and and Bank Gaborone told me that there is a difference as Food Security. You can see that this project is going to farmers are now able to pay their loans.” be financed according to the NDP review. The problem is that this project has been planned from as far back Honourable Members, now that farmers generate as 2005. This is why I am saying that our budget is not income by exporting live cattle, it shows that alternative growing, it is so because we depend on one, two or three markets can give farmers money and can revitalise this industries to generate income for us. We should have a industry. different approach if we want to grow our economy. You can see that this project is going to help us not to wait for HONOURABLE MEMBER: Elucidation. the rainy seasons so that we can go and plough. We have MR THIITE: I am challenging the Minister of to be self-sufficient when it comes to food production. Agriculture, his Assistant and the Government that, by This means we should have long sourced funds for this the time we will be allowing farmers to export cattle, project. At this point in time I just appreciate that it is it would not be a viable thing to do, it was a temporary ongoing. It is being done at a time when it is outdated. thing to enable farmers to… I can also give examples of infrastructure development projects; Francistown-Nata, Nata-Maun and Mohembo. HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification.

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MR THIITE: Honourable Members, I request that at plant system. Before the end of this project, we are going the end of this dispensation, we should come up with a to have land servicing of residential plots. Moreover, we solution regarding a full liberalisation plan which was are going to allocate about 1860 residential plots and first brought here by Former Minister Mr De Graaff in other plots where we expect to build a junior secondary 2012, later brought by Honourable Molao and approved which is also going to be serviced, at the stadium, at by Parliament. We need you to start that plan and explain fairgrounds and others areas. We will also allocate 110 whether you license abattoirs and tell us the efforts you industrial plots and 16 small agri-holding plots. These are making to bring the Beef Regulator Bill. We need are developments that are going to take place at Ghanzi these things because prices will go back to P8.00 when Constituency in the midst of the COVID-19 challenges. you close borders and we will not be able to explain to I do not agree with the Honourable Members who are Batswana at Ghanzi why the prices went back to that. denying the splendid job which is being done by the Government of President Masisi and his party. HONOURABLE MEMBER: Elucidation. Honourable Members, I must also highlight that, there HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification is water reticulation project which is going to be done Honourable Thiite. at Kuke settlement. Residents of Kuke have been asking HONOURABLE MEMBER: Elucidation. for water for many years but I want them to know that water reticulation project is finally coming to their MR THIITE: I yield Honourable Minister. village. We have to explain all these things without hesitating Honourable Members. HONOURABLE MEMBER: Asseblief. Just recently, I was at Central Kalahari Game Reserve MINISTER OF AGRICULTURAL (CKGR) accompanied by Honourable Molale, DEVELOPMENT AND FOOD SECURITY (MR Honourable Mzwinila, Honourable Dikoloti and GARE): Elucidation. Thank you Honourable Member. Honourable Kereng. We went to inform residents I understand your point. When responding to your of CKGR that Government agreed to bring water Motion, we highlighted that our intentions as a ministry, infrastructure project, that we are going to drill six as a Government, is to liberalise the beef industry. Let boreholes at CKGR as well as reticulate water and install me confirm to a Motswana at home that what you are a treatment plant so that they can have good water. saying, is what we are currently dealing with so we can have a meat regulator and all other aspects that HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Applause!)… are required so that the beef sector may generate better MR THIITE: Honourable Members, this project is profits. I thank you Honourable Member. going to cost about P80 million. So we are not supposed to dispute the good work that the President is doing. MR THIITE: Thank you Honourable Minister. President is known for his good deeds … Unfortunately Honourable Motsamai, I have to address issues of my constituency and my time is limited. HONOURABLE MEMBER: Point of order Mr Speaker. When we talk about the Ministry of Land… MR THIITE: …he is still doing them, he will try … HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)… HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification. MR THIITE: No, I only have six minutes Honourable Members. I must appreciate the Minister of Land HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)… because last year when Parliament started, my good and MR THIITE: …Honourable President. trusted Government whose good works we cannot deny, has addressed the concerns of the people of Ghanzi and MR SPEAKER: Point of order. they have to be elated. As I speak, we have a consultant MR THIITE: Yes, I must go on to say … on site, they are making a design audit review for a very big project on infrastructure development, which will MR MOSWAANE: Point of order. Mr Speaker, be covering maintenance of internal roads to bitumen members on this side are usually reminded that they standards, storm water drainage, sewerage works, power are not telling the truth, this is out of order because reticulation, telecommunication, waste water treatment the Honourable Member here has a document which

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indicates that the Government of Domkrag budgeted MR THIITE: All these things are efforts and the P1.2 billion for the rich and P100 million for more intentions of … than a million poor people. Do you really think the Government is serious? I am referring to the document HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification. that I am holding. Thank you. MR THIITE: … Domkrag.

MR SPEAKER: Continue Honourable Member, there HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification. is no point of order. MR THIITE: Let me highlight that Honourable MR THIITE: Thank you for protecting me Honourable Minister…(Laughter!)… Speaker. That is what I was saying that Honourable Members, let us be serious when addressing the nation HONOURABLE MEMBER: What are you laughing when we are in Parliament. I am seriously addressing at? residents of Ghanzi so do not add on to my debate MR LEUWE: Clarification. You are talking much because maybe you are not serious. about CKGR Honourable so elaborate it more because When we were expanding our plan to bring developments it also affects us, we want a list of areas where these at CKGR, we also promised to give them a farm. We boreholes are going to be drilled. Additionally, why did know that CKGR is a game reserve where people also they chose to send you and many Ministers… live but there is a conflict in terms of what they can do HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Laughter!)… to earn a living or do things which are business related. This is why Government decided to give them a farm MR LEUWE: …to CKGR and left us behind even from the farms which were allocated by Ghanzi Land though it also affects us? Board. This farm is located in an area called G10/G11 so they can keep cattle or plough if they wish to do so as MR THIITE: Honourable Member, I believe you are well as do all the activities which can be done by anyone free to discuss it with the Ministers. The truth of the who is out there and without having a conflict with… matter is, CKGR is in my constituency so, I addressed it as part of my constituency. I know that you have HONOURABLE MEMBER: Procedure Mr Speaker. relatives there but they are also my constituents.

MR THIITE: …their land use. HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)…

HONOURABLE MEMBER: Procedure. HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Laughter!)…

MR THIITE: While still at CKGR… MR THIITE: Let me talk about Education. Mr MR SPEAKER: What is out of procedure? Speaker, we have a challenge with our three primary schools at Ghanzi, they are all overenrolled. Ghanzi ASSISTANT MINISTER OF TERTIARY Primary School comprises of 911 students and it is EDUCATION, RESEARCH, SCIENCE AND overenrolled by 382 students. Kgaphamadi Primary TECHNOLOGY (MR SHAMUKUNI): Procedure. School has 865 enrolment and it is over-enrolled with It was a procedure regarding time Mr Speaker, so they 380 pupils. Kabakae Primary School is enrolled with have addressed it. Thank you. 998 students, over-enrolled by 120 pupils. Mr Speaker, this clearly calls for the collaboration of Minister of MR SPEAKER: Continue Honourable Thiite. Basic Education and Minister of Local Government MR THIITE: Honourable, nothing was wrong with and Rural Development to see how they can help us. time and you have really disturbed my debate… We have a new village at Ghanzi constituency called (Laughter!)…While still at CKGR, the Minister of Meriting; we need a primary school there Mr Speaker. Tourism explained that she managed to source funds for Let me perhaps conclude with the issue that, Minister them so that they can form Community Trusts so that of Transport we are facing a huge challenge regarding two camp sites can be built for them in order to increase roads from Gantsi to Grootlagte and from Gantsi to their income and create employement. Qabo. Mr Speaker these roads lead to production areas HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification. and also connect our settlements with the city. It is

Hansard No 200 45 Thursday 26th November, 2020 RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH Motion (Resumed Debate)

close to a year since these roads were graded, so please HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Applause!)… help us. Mr Speaker, we have a challenge of lack of accommodation for public officers, from Gantsi to our MR MOTSAMAI: Point of order. Mr Speaker, the settlements there is no accommodation so Minister of Honourable Member wants to debate but he is not doing Infrastructure please see how you can assist to include so. He is out order because the Honourable Leader of the Ghanzi Constituency in the plan. Thank you. Opposition never asked us to boycott this committee…

ASSISTANT MINISTER OF TERTIARY HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Murmurs)… EDUCATION, RESEARCH, SCIENCE AND MR MOTSAMAI: What happened is that Caucus TECHNOLOGY (MR SHAMUKUNI): Thank you of Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), I am not Mr Speaker. Let me also comment on His Excellency talking about the committee only, caucus! He presented the President State of the Nation address. Mr Speaker, the plan to us and we discussed it. From there we then I would like to start my debate by indicating that, we made a decision to boycott the committee due to the came to Parliament with different political beliefs, this reasons we submitted to Mr Speaker. Therefore, the therefore means sometimes we are going to differ on Member of Parliament will be misleading the House if issues affecting the nation and our country. Disagreement he says Honourable Saleshando requested us to boycott does not mean disrespect. I bring forth a request from the committee. He is out of order. Chobe Constituents; they request that Members of Parliament should respect each other because sometimes MR SPEAKER: Order! Order! There is absolutely no we do not address each other properly. Although we point of order. might have different views we should never disrespect each other. I want to make an appeal that we should MR SHAMUKUNI: Thank you Mr Speaker. I believe I respect each other in this honourable House, is that clear am clear; they boycotted this committee. I would like to Mr Speaker? indicate that at the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)…

Mr Speaker, I would also like to indicate that the HONOURABLE MEMBER: Procedure Mr Speaker. decision taken by the opposition members to boycott HONOURABLE MEMBER: Procedure Mr Speaker. Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Security was not good. I was disappointed by that decision, I MR SPEAKER: Honourable Moswaane, no! think we were denouncing our responsibility to provide oversight as Honourable Members of Parliament. I would HONOURABLE MEMBER: No? like to indicate that as I was a Member of this Committee MR SPEAKER: Yes, there is nothing out of procedure. in the year 2014/2015. I know that this committee was I just made a ruling and the Minister has hardly spoken. not performing, it never met in 2014/2015. However If you want to challenge my ruling, you are out of order. this time around it seems like there was a commitment on the part of the leadership, for the committee to MR SHAMUKUNI: Thank you Mr Speaker. I want to execute its mandate. His Excellency the President was indicate that as the BDP we are running an inclusive implementing the law as it is; he requested the Leader of Government. That is why we appointed some members the Opposition and you Honourable Speaker… of the opposition to prominent position to show that we are running an inclusive Government. The likes of HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification. former Member of Parliament, Honourable Mangole, MR SHAMUKUNI: …he followed the law to ensure he is currently a High Commissioner of Botswana at that members of this committee sit. He informed the India. There are some members of the opposition who Leader of the Opposition, which Honourable Members are appointed to prominent positions in Government, let will be appointed to the Committee and the Honourable me put it that way. Mr Speaker, we saw the Government Leader of the Opposition made a decision that they are of the BDP making a decision to rename Francistown boycotting this committee. I believe it is not right, any Airport, P. G. Matante Airport. I think this is an indication changes they wished to be implemented could have been that we are running an inclusive Government. I never presented to the committee rather than lobbying his heard them celebrate renaming of Francistown Airport members to boycott this committee. I wish to implore to P. G. Matante Airport. I think this is something worth Nkamo’s father that he should leave them and accept… celebrating.

46 Hansard No 200 Thursday 26th November, 2020 RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH Motion (Resumed Debate)

Mr Speaker, I would love to now discuss the issue of our storage. That is when you will realise the shortage that Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan (ERTP). has been there and some crops were even damaged. We I am waiting for 2021, I am really looking forward to were losing as a country, and the businesspeople were 2021 because there is light on the horizon. We heard losing because they had nowhere to store their harvest, that vaccines will be discovered and economic growth is and that is how we lost our harvest. I would like to thank projected at 7.7 per cent. It shows that our financial year the Government a lot for these storage facilities. of 2021 will be much better. I would like to talk about this transformation plan of ours; we will be engaging Mr Speaker, as we know that this area is a Special contractors particularly for implementation of projects, Economic Zone (SEZ) and at the moment they are so that they are the ones who assist us to try and ensure planning to implement a master plan. We only have to that implementation of our projects continues. request them to speed up the process because in terms of food security, Pandamatenga area relies a lot on this We were in this situation in 2008, we came from a SEZ to bring infrastructure, investors should come on recession and we introduced an Economic Stimulus board, so that we can begin to process food that can Programme (ESP). This ESP Mr Speaker, there a feed Botswana. We can achieve that by looking at the number of projects we were relying on to boost the quantity of food (tonnes) that come out of Pandamatenga economy in our different constituencies. Let me like I indicated that it is around 80 0000 metric tonnes. indicate that even now some projects have not been So it is up to the SEZ to bring infrastructure, and request implemented, some were supposed to be implemented investors to come and set up industries that can process but contractors abandoned them, even right now our food. they have not been completed. For example; at my HONOURABLE MEMBER: Elucidation. constituency Mr Speaker, there is a project that was supposed to be implemented in 2015, even right now it MR SHAMUKUNI: I will yield for you Nkamo’s has not been implemented. For us to cancel the contract father. of that contractor Mr Speaker, we had to settle, and we MR MOATLHODI: On a point of elucidation. Thank paid him close to P34 million whereas he did not do the you Mr Speaker. Thank you very much Honourable project but we wanted him out of the site, so that we can Assistant Minister and also a Member of Parliament for find other contractors who can do that project. a constituency that has the wealth of the country and I My appeal Mr Speaker to Batswana contractors is like very much, Chobe Constituency. I want to plead that, they should understand that our main objective of with you on my knees, I am on my knees and I wish boosting the economy depends on them. They should the Honourable Minister of Agricultural Development also have that sense of patriotism so that they can be and Food Security was also here, to hear my concern. I given these projects, and they implement them knowing agree with your words, people of Tonota, which is my that they are doing this for their country. It should not be constituency, always send me messages and I cry when a case of just wanting to fill their pockets. So I wanted I see some of them. I am going to say their exact words to make that plea Mr Speaker, to our local contractors to “Here are Boers who have hired us in their farms to know that they are doing this for their country. harvest sorghum, sometimes we pick wood and gather it one place but we are paid very low salaries. We are Mr Speaker, I am Honourable Letsholathebe’ assistant often abused.” I am pleading with you Honourable at the Ministry of Tertiary Education and he took a Minister, Kingsley’s father, I am pleading with you my long time explaining about this ministry. Right now I brother, I am also pleading with Honourable Minister of wish to rush to issues concerning my constituency at Agricultural Development and Food Security, if you can Chobe. I would like to start Mr Speaker, I will respond give yourselves time to go there together, I will not even to the issues that the President addressed concerning mind to be invited by your good self. We should talk to my constituency of Chobe. I am very thankful to the these Boers that they came to our country to develop it storage project at Pandamatenga; 60 000 metric tonnes and they achieve that through people, they should know of storage capacity because those that are available, that people should be treated kindly. Let God Almighty their capacity is 30 000 metric tonnes only. The harvest help you Honourable Member, you should stand up of Pandamatenga like in this past season, was around for that constituency, so that we can get food and feed 80 000 metric tonnes, against a 30 000 metric tonnes ourselves. Thank you Honourable Mr Speaker.

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MR SHAMUKUNI: Thank you Nkamo’s father. HONOURABLE MEMBER: …(Inaudible)… Those issues you are addressing are also not new to my ears, they are issues we are addressing with these MR SHAMUKUNI: Not Guma Moyo. Madidila Moyo Boer farmers at Pandamatenga. It is not all of them, in Pandamatenga Mr Speaker, they are now at a point some have a high level of understanding, and we are where they can be… collaborating with some of them on these issues so that MR MMOLOTSI: Clarification. Thank you very there can be a solution. much. Honourable Minister, I can hear that you are now Mr Speaker, this Zambezi Integrated Agro-Commercial coming on track. Since you are Minister in Government, project, let us revisit it like Honourable Thiite indicated. the issues you are talking about are progressive; why can It is a project from 2004. In 2004 we indicated that it you not see to it that you talk to the Government about is a project that can create more than 2 600 jobs, and in that issue, that it is important to have a deliberate move terms of revenue it will generate close to P1.9 billion per to assist farmers in Pandamatenga with farms, and that year. It is a project that according to me can assist us to those farms should be equipped by drilling boreholes, produce food, create jobs and boost our economy. It is so that they would be able to compete with commercial one of the projects that maybe if we can take seriously, farmers from outside? Why can you not do that because and find ways to finance it because even the people of you are in a better position, considering the position you my constituency have begun to ask me how far it is. hold and your robustness? MR SHAMUKUNI: You are also on the right track The other thing that concerns us about this project, is Honourable Mmolotsi. I believe all of us are awaiting to negotiate on water from Zambezi. So to negotiate a Bill which is going to be brought by my party which extraction of water, we can be given a time limit of the will be about economic inclusion, which we could extraction. So if we take this much longer when we were describe as Citizen Economic Empowerment (CEE). given the permission to extract that much water, maybe I believe when we debate that Bill, those will be the that negotiations will expire, and we start negotiating points we shall focus on. You know that it is on the table again. So maybe as Government we should speed up Honourable Mmolotsi. on this project because the land is already demarcated. HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification. Maybe at the moment we just allocate, even if we can begin with rain-fed agriculture so that those who MR SHAMUKUNI: Mr Speaker, let me now talk are able to develop those farms can do that, and water about the transport sector, in Chobe. Mr Speaker, we infrastructure will be implemented at a later stage but are happy for the Kazungula Bridge and we wish the people should start using those farms so that we can get commissioning of this bridge could be done quickly food. so that trucks could start using it, so that trade would take place. Just to ease congestion in Kazungula, and I wish that maybe on the issue of agriculture, still at so that we can start benefiting from this bridge. We Pandamatenga, I am so concerned because I do not see started building it maybe four years ago, and I believe the youth of Pandamatenga owning these commercial maybe there are few lessons that we should learn as a farms. Even if I close my eyes right now I cannot point country, particularly when we do joint projects which even a single one of them owning any of the commercial farms. Maybe as Government, these are the issues we we are working on with other countries; it means the should see how we can address them to ensure that the contractor would be using the laws of the two different residents of these areas where there are certain economic countries. Sometimes there are challenges in the case activities play a major role in the economy. I think they were laws in country A do not correspond with laws in can hear me wherever they are, those who have been country B. For example, issues of minimum wage and classified as small farmers for the past 10 years, receive conditions of service, and when there is a difference you awards when there are shows. Mr Speaker, the likes of will find that the contractor leans more towards a side Madidila, Mr Moyo, Mr Mafa and others can hear me that favours them; a country where they can make more wherever they are, I think they are now at a stage to be profit, and that affects the other country. As we saw classified as commercial farmers. in Kazungula, in terms of employment, for the bridge package, the contractor leaned more toward employing HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification. the Zambians, maybe considering that it was not too

48 Hansard No 200 Thursday 26th November, 2020 RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH Motion (Resumed Debate)

costly to engage them; considering the minimum wage MR SHAMUKUNI: I will yield later; do not try to this side and the one on the Zambian side, as well as the obtain by force. With regards to roads Mr Speaker, I conditions of service and so forth. know that we talked a lot about the Sehithwa-Mohembo one. I would like to focus on the Kachikau-Parakarungu HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification. road. At the moment it is being raised because it cuts MR SHAMUKUNI: We observed that the employment across a flat plain, and it brought about challenges for ratio was almost 1:3. Therefore going forward let us us. I would like to thank His Honour the Vice President consider whether we cannot have agreements in terms that when we had water challenges, he paid us a visit of minimum wage for that particular project; how much in Chobe West, and we started a process of sourcing it will be, which funds are going to be used to pay the funds for this road, to have it raised and as we speak workers, rather than having a confusion as to which the contractor is already on site, raising it. By the time regulations the contractor should use to employ the the flood comes, it should find the road lifted and not workers. That is one lesson that we should carry, when be affected by the flood. I would like to thank you very we are going to implement other projects that involve much and the residents of Chobe ought to thank you other countries. as well. I would like to make this request that, when plans are made, Honourable Segokgo is not here, those Mr Speaker, this bridge is going to be run by an authority responsible for roads gravelled it with a lot of money, that will be formed called the Kazungula Bridge close to P34 million. Let us consider tarring it at once. Authority. My request is that we should do everything That is the only stretch that is remaining without tarmac in in our might to ensure that this authority is on our side; the Chobe constituency. Once you tar that 35 kilometres we should host it as Botswana based on obvious reasons Honourable Segokgo, the Chobe Constituency in terms that we shall benefit from when the authority is on our of roads, you would have completed your task. You are side. It will also be in Kasane, only two kilometres from only left with the Kachikau to Shorobe road. the bridge, rather than going far on the other side in the country we shall be working jointly with. As Botswana Now coming to schools Mr Speaker, we have two junior we should do all we can to ensure that Kazungula Bridge secondary schools, which are both oversubscribed. Authority is based in our country. We should host it. Others were built as 18 stream schools, but at the moment they are at 21, other students are taught outside Mr Speaker, let me point out that, there are two Batswana because they do not have classrooms. I believe we need who were involved in this bridge project, whom we a third junior secondary school in Chobe Mr Speaker. should celebrate. Sometimes we are just going to look at We have long requested for a unified secondary school. it as just a bridge, maybe thinking all the brains behind As we make development plans, we should consider it this bridge were foreigners with certain expertise, yet we because Chobe is growing at an alarming rate. Some of also have experts in Botswana. Mr Speaker I would like our projections which we did some 10 years ago, assume this House to recognise the lead consultant engineer for the population would be at around 10 000 this year, we the bridge, Mr Kobamelo Kgoboko, he is a Motswana. know and we have experienced that the number has HONOURABLE MEMBER: Bobonong. almost doubled, because of economic opportunities that are there. Therefore we need schools Mr Speaker. Even HONOURABLE MEMBERS: …(Applause!)… the Kazungula Primary for which we got assistance from China, Honourable Molale, they were halted by MR SHAMUKUNI: Parliament has to thank them Mr COVID, they have done the ground-breaking. Please Speaker. As well as Pius Seone who was the Project follow them and ensure that Kazungula Primary School Manager. The eyes of Government on that bridge. It is is built as soon as possible Mr Speaker. We are waiting a project of a huge magnitude, and normally we would for it with bated breath because the old primary school think only external experts would manage to do it. This has no space, some students are being taught outside, clearly shows that we have raised experts Mr Speaker; and they do not have classrooms. we have Batswana who have relevant qualifications, who can do projects of that magnitude such as a bridge. Mr Speaker, as His Excellency also touched on issues This House has to thank them. of health, there are several hospitals that are being built in Botswana. Let me point out that, we have HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification. seen movements in terms of construction of Kasane

Hansard No 200 49 Thursday 26th November, 2020 RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH Motion (Resumed Debate)

Primary School. Consultants have already arrived there. quality of water at Pandamatenga, they are saying that Surveyors have already addressed Dikgotla meeting some boreholes are not in good condition and that there as part of their consultations. We have hope that our has been underground pollution Mr Speaker. That is the hospital is going to be constructed. We only have to village that I am still concerned about as far as water plead with the Ministry that they should expedite the is concerned. The Zambezi project which is going to construction because as Honourable Majaga has said, source water from Chobe might take a long period of Kasane is the hub of tourism. These tourists are both time because it is a big project, but in the meantime we international and local. They are going to visit this area should try to improve the water quality. and we have to improve buildings and health facilities so that when they are there, there would be no challenges. Electricity; Today I received several calls from I wish that Kazungula clinic can be able to operate for Pandamatenga. We get electricity from Zimbabwe but 24 hours. during these rainy seasons, power cuts can last for two weeks. I receive quite a number of calls, “ Honourable The other issue that I want to address is about transiting Member , we do not have electricity. Food is rotting in the Chobe National Park. Mr Speaker, my constituents sent fridge.” Mr Speaker, the project that supplies electricity me to talk about this issue so I should not leave it out. I to North West should be done hastily so that the phase once raised it here in Parliament. Closing times of Chobe that links with Chobe can be done quickly because we National Park; there is a transit route from Kasane to need to have a reliable electricity. As we are going to Chobe Enclave, from Mabele up to Parakarungu. Chobe create Special Economic Zone (SEZ) there, all the fence national Park closes at half past six Mr Speaker, and then industry is going to require a reliable electricity, not the people are compelled to transit to the settlements with a unreliable one which can go for two weeks during rainy permit. It is more like a border. The concern that is there seasons. Mr Speaker, the government should promptly is that, we know that our local economies are growing deliver these amenities at Pandamatenga. and when the economy grows, there is bound to be too much movement. So the closing times of the Ngoma and Constitutional Review; people at my constituency are Sedudu and Chobe National Park gates are a hindrance. eagerly waiting for it, they are longing for it because In terms of growing the economy, production and trade, they wish to see certain sections of our Constitution it seems like these times disturb all these things. Not being amended, as we know Section 77 and Section 78 only that, we know how we live as Batswana, when which deals with Bogosi issues. I believe that they have our relatives have challenges somewhere we can leave to be amended so as to promote peace and tranquillity Gaborone to go and see them. When time elapses when in Botswana. Constitution of Botswana should not have you are still at the gate, they tell you that you have to any section which is not recognised accordingly . We park and sleep there and transit the following morning. should all rejoice and be grateful of the conditions we Mr Speaker, I believe that there is something that we live in in Botswana. can do to make it easy for my constituents to cross and use that transit route to Chobe West settlements. Mr Speaker, I want to conclude by thanking Batswana who graced my Constituency in large numbers during Regarding water issues Mr Speaker, we appreciate the independence holidays, visiting tourist attraction projects that the President highlighted in his speech. areas. The tourism industry had already collapsed, but HONOURABLE MEMBER: Clarification. they really assisted us by visiting our constituency. Batswana owned companies started generating income. MR SHAMUKUNI: No! I am left with five minutes I thank them because after they visited our constituency, Honourable Member. One second is too long. Mr we have not had any outbreak or any strange spike of Speaker, I believe that the projects that the President COVID-19. They abided by the COVID-19 protocols highlighted are going to help us. My concern is in and I thank them for that. I also encourage them that regard to Pandamatenga, they still source water from if there can be an opportunity for them to visit our boreholes. Time has come for us to consider supplying constituency this December, they should continue them with water from Kasane. The water that comes to follow COVID-19 protocols. Mr Speaker, they from Chobe-Zambezi system; the challenge that comes should go and revive the economy of my constituency. with sourcing water from boreholes is that sometimes Batswana entrepreneurs are waiting for them and they pipes fail and they go for a long time without water. The have prepared for them at my constituency. They are

50 Hansard No 200 Thursday 26th November, 2020 RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH Motion (Resumed Debate)

waiting to welcome them and show them tourists sites in President says seriously. It is clear, there are many action our constituency. I also encourage those who are going items which are in this document and this shows that the to visit my constituency that they should not only stop President has keen interest in the lives of Batswana. at Kasane, they should visit Satau and Parakarungu in order to see the beauty of those areas. They should go These critics who claim that the President has not done and see our culture. There is a lot on offer at Chobe Mr anything, are all cut and paste. What is clear is that, Speaker and I would appreciate it if Batswana can start the President is working hard, if he promised people to visit the place and see. something and failed to implement it, he is not afraid to say it, that is real leadership Mr Speaker. So, we are Lastly Mr Speaker... grateful that the President’s address talks to Motswana at home. MR MOSWAANE: Point of order. I think the Minister is out of order by concluding his debate Mr Speaker, the second thing which I want to talk about without addressing the concerns of tertiary students. is the issue of Gender Based Violence (GBV). Your institutions are empty as we speak. Government is losing money. What are you saying about tertiary MR SPEAKER: Order! Order! Honourable Minister, students in your constituency who are not working even you will start with Gender Based Violence (GBV), that though they are graduates? People not being employed is where we will continue; I think on Monday. in institutions. Thank you. It is now six o’clock, may I call upon the Leader of the MR SPEAKER: Order! Order! Honourable Moswaane, House to move a Motion of adjournment. you know very well that you are out of order. MOTION

MR SHAMUKUNI: Mr Speaker, he is out of order, ADJOURNMENT and he was not here when Honourable Letsholathebe was presenting. So, you missed because you were not LEADER OF THE HOUSE (MR TSOGWANE): here. Since you have wasted my time… lastly Mr Thank you Mr Speaker, as you have requested, I move Speaker, I thank a group of people who the President that this House do now adjourn. Thank you. sent to Chobe to go and address residents regarding the conflict between Botswana and Namibia. I want to Question put and agreed to. conclude by saying that I appreciate the decision that was taken by His Excellency the President to go and The Assembly accordingly adjourned at 6:05 p.m. until address Chobe constituency about that situation. I thank Friday 27th November, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. you Mr Speaker.

MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (MR MOLALE): Thank you Mr Speaker. Thank you for giving me a chance to address few issues. Firstly Mr Speaker, just like other Honourable Members, I want to say that His Excellency Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, has given us a great and promising speech which is an indication that his government is putting certain measures in place to improve Batswana.

This document that I have has about 16 or 17 pages Mr Speaker. It shows action items across the whole of Government, which the President is intending to take.

HONOURABLE MEMBER: ...(Inaudible)...

MR MOLALE: No, everyone is expected to make a copy for themselves, I made a copy for myself which shows that I pay attention and also take what the

Hansard No 200 51 HANSARD RECORDERS Mr. T. Gaodumelwe, Mr T. Monakwe, Ms T. 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, Ms M. Madubeko

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

52 Hansard No 200