01 Oct 2024

Shortage of residential land and unemployment were on the spotlight during the Parliamentary Radio Botswana debates for Kgatleng West Constituency.

All four prospective parliamentary candidates mentioned the two as major factors, which challenged them to seek a seat in the national assembly.

The candidates; Botswana Congress Party (BCP), Dr Unity Dow, Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Mr Daniel Molokwe, Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), Mr Bright Molebatsi and Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Mr Kenneth Rapoo concurred that more needed to be done to improve the constituency.

Mr Rapoo said if voted, he would advocate for better health services, adding that clinics in the constituency were overwhelmed and not staffed to deal with complex illnesses, adding that specialist services were also needed in severe cases.

He also submitted that the vastness of the constituency coupled with difficult terrain made it difficult for ambulances to assist emergency patients on time.

“In some instances patients from Kgomodiatshaba, Artesia, Leshibitse and Bodungwane lost lives due to these bad roads during their transit to health facilities,” he said.

Mr Rapoo also said the education system should be overhauled because it no longer served purpose.

He complained of lack of manufacturing industries that could spur economic activities and thereby create employment opportunities.

He opined that UDC was the only party that can improve Batswana’s lives.

Under UDC leadership, among other incentives he said pensioners would receive P1 800 monthly allowance, tertiary students P2 500 and the same would apply to Ipelegeng workers.

BPF’s Mr Molebatsi said Kgatleng West should be well developed given that A1 road, which connects the southern and the northern part of the country lies in the heart of the constituency.

He said A1 road alone was a catalyst for economic activities and should be able to attract industries to be established along the road starting from Mmamashia to Dibete, thereby generating some jobs for residents.

He said the A1 road was the only low hanging fruit that should be utilised to attract industries, adding that another added advantage was that the railway line also lied adjacent to the A1, which he said should also be used to ferry goods to industries along the A1.

He submitted that Bokaa dam was also another oasis of wealth if it was utilised for horticultural farming.

He envisioned a constituency with more infrastructural road networks enabling movement of the people within the constituency, without heavily relying on the A1 main road.

Mr Molebatsi also said Kgatleng West had poor road networks that should be tarred, adding that measures be put in place to take care of such roads.

“We also need a police station in Kgatleng West at Bokaa,” he said.

He also spoke against corruption which he said deprived Kgatleng West developments.

In her submission, BCP’s Dr Unity Dow said she was the most suitable candidate to represent Kgatleng West, which she said was the most affected by poverty.

She said the constituency was under developed and poverty stricken as there was high number of unemployed people, while most relied on Ipelegeng, which hired on rotational basis.

Dr Dow said that poor economic performance of the country greatly affected residents, most of whom looked up to government for daily survival.

Dr Dow also said the constituency lacked manufacturing industries to create employment for the Residents.

She said the constituency also needed a police station to increase visibility of police in far and remote areas such as Kgomodiatshaba.

She also opined that Deborah Retief Hospital in Mochudi was too small for Kgatleng District population and was in a dilapidated state, and not well resourced.

Given a chance, she said, BCP manifesto had a clear direction as to how they could turn around the economy to improve residents’ lives.

This, she said would be achieved through good policies, good governance and prudent use of funds for developmental projects.

She said BCP government would come up with policy shifts to ensure that standards were followed, introduction of child grants and further ensured that labour laws were respected.

BDP’s Mr Molokwe submitted that Kgatleng District had made strides in improving some of the services in the district including encouraging businesses to set up in the district.

He said he was better placed to represent the residents because he understood the district better than the trio, because when he served as the district council chairperson, he traversed the entire constituency.

He acknowledged that lack of employment was the topical issue in the entire district including Kgatleng West, adding that Ipelegeng was never meant to be a permanent employment, but a temporary relief initiative.

In that regard, he said the District Development Plan had some plans to revitalise the Kgatleng economic activities by attracting investors who would spur economic activities and employ more people.

He said Bokaa-Kopong, Lentsweletau-Rasesa and Artesia-Kgomodiatshaba were some of the roads that should be improved.

“At council level, there are some roads that are not under our jurisdiction, but as a Member of Parliament, I will advocate better for improvement of these roads,” he said.

Mr Molokwe said the hospital was on cards and that he was aware that the health system was not performing well in some areas, but said strides had been made in some services.

He also said although DRM was old, the hospital had state of the art equipment in laboratories and other ammenities. Ends