06 Aug 2024

Chobe constituency parliamentary candidates for the 2024 elections have each tabled their roadmap to electorates during the Radio Botswana debate in Kasane on Monday.

The constituency will see five candidates battling for the seat. Mr Simasiku Mapulanga is the prospective candidate for Botswana Congress Party (BCP), Mr Luckson Likokoto will contest for Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Mr Victor Liwena Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) Mr Simwanza Rakaru and Independent Candidate Mr Sinka Kachana.

BCP’s Mapulanga explained that for BCP to be the only party that has revealed its  manifesto for the 2024 elections was an showed the party’s commitment to rollout the vision and serve Batswana.

He said the focus was to ensure that construction of Kasane hospital and stadium came into fruition and land reforms amended for Batswana to be allocated serviced land.

Mr Mapulanga said he believed Chobe District was not prioritised in developments because they had been advocating for upgrading of Satau Parakarungu road to bitumen standard.

He said it was imperative that Pandamatenga as a hub for arable farming have irrigation systems that would expand food production.

Mr Likokoto appealed to Chobe electorates to vote for him so that the BDP legacy would carry on in Chobe and deliver on the party mandate to develop the district to a global competitive destination.

He assured Chobe residents that their prayers were finally answered as the Kasane hospital was at design stage having been funded in the National Transitional Plan.

He said a BDP led government had shaped Botswana into a wildlife and environment conservation model admired by the world adding that through Community Based Natural Resources Management Organisations, Chobe communities were educated about the importance of coexistence with wildlife.

Mr Likokoto responded that the Chobe National Park operational hours should not be an issue because there was a provision that in a case of an emergency one could acquire special permit to move from either Kasane or Chobe Enclave villages.

He said the government was in discussions with other countries along the Chobe Zambezi riverine for Botswana to extract water through the Zambezi integrated agro- commercial development project designed to expand agricultural sector.

BPF’s Rakaru said his campaign was centered around promoting infrastructure development in Chobe as he believed Chobe as a sovereign district had not been developed even after migrating from North West District.

He said the fact that Chobe had two Junior Secondary Schools was an indication that a Senior School was needed so that children did not have to go as far as Nata and Masunga for higher learning.

Mr Rakaru said people of Chobe West had potential to plough in large scale to support production in Pandamatenga but wildlife destroyed their crops which called for land electrification programs to be implemented.

Moreover he said the stretch between Kachikau and Muchenje was mostly forest reserves which left no grazing for livestock adding that as an MP he would advocate for part of forest reserves to be reserved for grazing.

UDC’s Mr Liwena stated that his priority was for Chobe hospital to be constructed in to make  Kasane suitable  as a tourism hub because lack of a modern hospital placed Kasane on bad ratings internationally.

He said there was need to diversify Chobe economy and explore mining adding that Pandamatenga could be a good source for coal production.

He believed self-drive tours in the park were  risky in that people could commit crimes while driving unaccompanied hence noted his party would device reforms for youth companies to benefit from selfdrives by accompanying tourists.

For his part Mr Kachana indicated that human-wildlife conflict in Chobe could be addressed through installation of an electric fence from Sedudu gate to Kazungula so that wildlife did not invade residential areas.

He said if voted he would advocate for an aquaculture farm in the district so that youth would breed and sell  fish.

He reiterated that an irrigation system was essential in Pandamatenga to maximise production of crops. ENDS