18 Aug 2019

Prospective Parliamentary candidates for Mmathethe/ Molapowabojang constituency have promised to change the economic landscape of their constituency for the benefit of the communities, should they win the parliamentary seat.

The two candidates, Dr Prince Dibeela of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) and Dr Edwin Dikoloti of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) took to the stage during one of the ongoing debate sessions for parliamentary candidates on Saturday ahead of the October general election.

They shared a common goal of the need to stimulate economic growth with an emphasis on employment creation, access to quality services and empowering the constituents through Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMMEs) as well as cooperatives.

Dr Dibeela said his focus would be on the construction of good road infrastructure, efficient water supply and employment creation in the constituency if elected to Parliament.

He said water provision was one of the challenges that should be addressed in the Mmathethe/ Molapowabojang constituency as the constituents had always been faced with water shortage for a long time.

“Throughout the constituency, from Molapowabojang to Lerolwane, Maokane and Metlobo, people are complaining about shortage of water.

There is plenty of ground water resource, which can be used to improve the water supply situation in this constituency using boreholes,” Dr Dibeela said.

He said it was about time the gravel roads linking Tshweneyagae and Diabong, Gasita and Lorolwane, Metlobo and Tswaaneng were upgraded into a better road network for economic gains.

He said the government in the past had indicated that around P200 million was budgeted for the upgrading of Metlobo/Tswaaneng road, a promise that had never been fulfilled.

Dr Dibeela further said people in the Mmathethe/ Molapowabojang constituency were not spared from the effects of unemployment.

He said should he win the parliamentary seat, the constituents would benefit from UDC through its manifesto as they had pledged to create 100 000 jobs by industrialising various sectors of the economy.

The UDC representative added that he would work closely with the youth to assist them to develop cooperative enterprises.

On other issues, Dr Dibeela said he would vie for provision of better health facilities in the constituency, provision of better infrastructure in schools in the constituency, and provision of accommodation for civil servants.

The MP aspirant said there was a shortage of beds in the maternity ward at Mmathethe Primary Hospital, while some clinics did not have enough nurses.

He added that all the junior secondary schools in the constituency had a high student/ teacher ratio.

Dr Dikoloti of the BDP on the other hand said his party would use him as a point of contact in the constituency to drive developmental agenda.

He said the BDP-led government was exploring ways of empowering SMMEs to stimulate economic growth and ensure the economy remained vibrant.

He said he would do everything within his reach to ensure that the constituents had access to quality services among them access to potable water and health services.

Dr Dikoloti said the BDP’s 2019 election manifesto, which was anchored on economic transformation, job creation and equitable distribution of wealth, showed that his party had a well-founded direction.
He said through the party, he was an agent of change, and if given chance he would continue from where his predecessors left to change the economic landscape of the constituency through an all-inclusive approach.

Dr Dikoloti shared that the area had potential in agriculture, citing production farms in Mosi, Sedibeng and Kanngwe as an agricultural hub for the constituency.

He said there was a need to explore all opportunities available in the constituency to soar the agricultural industry.

He said he would strive to set up processing plants within the constituency to create employment as well as encourage youth to partake in agriculture to create employment and maximise food production.

He said he was working round the clock to improve performance in schools by donating resources to affected schools so as to create an enabling environment for performance.

He said electrification of most villages within the constituency was a sign that the BDP-led government cared for Batswana.

He said as for business plots,  a significant portion had been availed to the youth as an empowerment tool.

According to statistics from Independent Electoral Commission, 21 662 eligible voters have registered in the Mmathethe/Molapowabojang constituency. ENDS