BOTSWANA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY N O T I C E P A P E R (TUESDAY 15TH DECEMBER, 2020) NOTICE OF QUESTIONS (FOR ORAL ANSWER ON FRIDAY 18TH DECEMBER, 2020) 1. MR. S. J. BROOKS, MP. (KGALAGADI SOUTH): To ask the Minister of (174) Health and Wellness to state: (i) the maternal mortality rates in the Kgalagadi South Constituency per year and of those who were referred to Princess Marina Hospital from Tsabong Primary Hospital; (ii) what are the common causes of maternal mortalities; and (iii) what happens to the affected babies during these unfortunate incidents. 2. MR. B. MATHOOTHE, MP. (SEROWE NORTH): To ask the Minister of (175) Transport and Communications: (i) if he is aware of the airfield plot that is allocated to Civil Aviation Authority Botswana (CAAB) between Serowe and Palapye; and (ii) when the Ministry will start construction of infrastructural developments on the airfield. 3. MR. M. REATILE, MP. (JWANENG-MABUTSANE): To ask the Minister of (176) Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism to state: (i) how much revenue has been lost during the COVID-19 era so far in the tourism sector and in particular in Jwaneng– Mabutsane including closure of businesses and job losses; (ii) the types of tourists enterprises affected; and (iii) how many of the enterprises are citizen owned and what short and long term mitigation plans are being put in place to cushion the already poor Jwaneng-Mabutsane communities from the effects of COVID-19 and other future disasters. 1 4. MR. T. LETSHOLO, MP. (KANYE NORTH): To ask the Minister of Health (177) and Wellness if he does not consider digitisation as a key area for consideration in health service delivery and to further state: (i) what innovations have been introduced since COVID-19 considering the inappropriateness of overcrowding, including the delivery of medication to patients; and (ii) how Government is leveraging technology to access specialists and to deliver specialist surgical procedures remotely. 5. MR. O. RAMOGAPI, MP. (PALAPYE): To ask the Minister of Local (178) Government and Rural Development to apprise this Honourable House on 'Bogosi jwa Palapye' stating: (i) all the vacant posts in Palapye from Senior Tribal Authority up to Headman of Arbitration; (ii) why it takes long time to fill the vacant posts even where there is no dispute; (iii) when the Minister will ensure that the vacant posts are filled. 6. MS. T. MONNAKGOTLA, MP. (KGALAGADI NORTH): To ask the Minister (179) of Finance and Economic Development if he will consider constructing a Border Post at Kaa between Botswana and Namibia which will be of economic benefit to the people of Kgalagadi. 7. MR. A. LESASO, MP. (SHOSHONG): To ask the Minister of Agricultural (180) Development and Food Security to state: (i) how many young dairy farmers have been funded in the Shoshong, Serowe, Mahalapye, Palapye area; (ii) how many of the projects are successful; (iii) how many are selling milk to the Serowe milk processing plant; (iv) whether this is not an opportunity to create youth employment through value chain in dairy farming. 8. MR. M. REATILE, MP. (JWANENG-MABUTSANE): To ask the Minister of (181) Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism to apprise this Honourable House on the position with the sengaparile plant: (i) whether it has any known medicinal value and how much of it is harvested in the Jwaneng–Mabutsane area; 2 (ii) how much revenue it brings to the communities where it is found; (iii) what efforts are being made to assist local harvesters and herbalists to create sustainable livelihoods such as patenting indigenous knowledge and selling it as well as producing and processing to bring in better income; (iv) whether there are any graduates in Botswana and in particular from the Jwaneng-Mabutsane Constituency that have been identified that can assist Government in this regard to improve and turn around the fortunes of the Region. 9. MR. T. LETSHOLO, MP. (KANYE NORTH): To ask the Minister of (182) Transport and Communications if the design for the road between Kgomokasitwa and Tshweneyagae was ever done, years ago, by another Ministry, or the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in particular, and handed over to Ministry of Transport and Communications; and also: (i) how much was spent on the design and will the design still be relevant whenever implementation will be done; (ii) how much in total, and on an annual basis, has been spent on grading and maintaining the current road since the completion of the design to date. 10. MR. O. RAMOGAPI, MP. (PALAPYE): To ask the Minister of Local (183) Government and Rural Development to explain the importance of role of Customary Court of Appeal Members and state the following: (i) independence of the Customary Court of Appeal; (ii) the allowance Members get per sitting; (iii) reporting structure of the Customary Court of Appeal; (iv) who appoints the Members of the Customary Court of Appeal; (v) if there is no need to have a Committie that recommends appointment of Customary Court of Appeal nominated Members. 11. MR. A. LESASO, MP. (SHOSHONG): To ask the Minister of Agricultural (184) Development and Food Security: (i) how much is the milk demand in Botswana per day; (ii) how much of the domestic market is supplied by local suppliers; 3 (iii) how much is imported; and (iv) what is Government doing to close the gap and ensure self sufficiency. 12. DR. U. DOW, MP. (SPECIALLY ELECTED): To ask the Minister of Health (185) and Wellness: (i) what constitutes grave endangerment to a woman’s mental health to justify the termination of pregnancy; (ii) whether, regard being had to the availability of medical doctors, the current law on abortion is not more paper than substance; (iii) how many women, during the year 2018, received pregnancy termination services and how many were in Gaborone, Kgalagadi, Chobe and Bobonong; (iv) whether there are any plans to curb “baby dumping” cases by providing for anonymous leaving of babies and unwanted babies at places such as police stations and churches. 13. MR. D. L. KEORAPETSE, MP. (SELEBI PHIKWE WEST): To ask the Minister (186) of Basic Education if he is aware of the performance of Selebi Phikwe Primary Schools in the last 5-10 years and if so, the Minister to illustrate this performance per schools; and further state: (i) the number of teachers per school promoted (not progression) in the past 5-10 years; (ii) if the promotions policy is linked to results and if promotions of Selibe Phikwe teachers is commensurate with their performance in terms of examination results; (iii) if he realises that lack of promotions for teachers of best performing schools could demoralise teachers with undesirable consequences. 14. MR. G. KEKGONEGILE, MP. (MAUN EAST): To ask the Minister of (187) Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development to brief this Honourable House on measures taken to improve Security Guards’ working conditions and protect their workplace rights and further state: (i) total number of workers employed by Security Companies; (ii) number of Security Guards’ grievances/cases pending in different Labour Departments; (iii) the number involving severance benefits, unpaid leaves and none wage increments out of the pending cases. 4 15. MR. F. T. LEUWE, MP. (TAKATOKWANE): To ask the Minister of (188) Agricultural Development and Food Security if he is aware that the Brand certificate and Keeper Id’s expiry dates are different, if so, can they both be given the same expiry dates. 16. MR. T. B. LUCAS, MP. (BOBONONG): To ask the Minister of Health and (189) Wellness to update this Honourable House on the geographic spread of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) bases in the country and state: (i) if such bases are equitably spread out in the country and if not, what he intends to do to remedy the situation; (ii) if there are any immediate plans to establish EMS bases in Ghanzi, Tsabong and Shakawe; (iii) if the Minister has any plans to acquire air support services (helicopter) to assist EMS operations to save lives; and (iv) how much was incurred in the past five (5) years in hiring air support service (helicopters) from private emergency medical service providers. 17. DR. K. GOBOTSWANG, MP. (SEFHARE-RAMOKGONAMI): To ask the (190) Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security to update this Honourable House if there is a Government Policy on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): (i) if so, when was it published; and (ii) if not, to explain whether there are any plans to have one in place and the timelines. 18. MR. W. B. MMOLOTSI, MP. (FRANCISTOWN SOUTH): To ask the Minister (191) of Health and Wellness to state the following: (i) patient:doctor ratio at Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital against international best practice; (ii) nurse:patient ratio at the Hospital against international best practice; and (iii) the length of time it takes at Nyangabgwe for patients requiring the services of specialists such as gynaecologists to be assisted. 19. MR. C. GREEFF, MP. (GABORONE BONNINGTON SOUTH): To ask the (192) Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry to state: (i) how many non-citizen owned companies operate in the country; (ii) how many of them pay tax; 5 (iii) how many pay their employees’ salaries according to the Government set standards; and does the Ministry find it fit to reconsider reserving some of the businesses they operate for locals only especially those at the level of small Economic Services. 20. MR. D. SALESHANDO, MP. (MAUN WEST): To ask the Minister of (193) Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism to state the total number of international tourists that have used Maun Airport as their port of entry on their way into the Okavango Delta in the past three (3) years; the Minister should state the percentage of the arrivals that lodged in Maun before proceeding to the Delta or on their return.