25 Feb 2025

 The 2025-26 national budget is honest about the country’s financial state and proposes pragmatic solutions that will lead Botswana to a better economic future, Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education Ms Nono Kgafela-Mokoka has said.

She said recent flood had laid bare the poor infrastructure bequeathed upon the nation by 58 years of Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) rule.

She said it was disingenuous for BDP to continuously say their record in government was exemplary when the country’s roads and bridges collapse and poor drainage systems exposed every time there were heavy rains

Ms Kgafela-Mokoka said Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government would ensure transparency in government and stop wastage in the public finance and procurement systems.

She added that in pursuing a human rights approach, government believed in the right to shelter, hence the proposal of the construction of 100 000 housing units over five years.

Ms Kgafela-Mokoka said her ministry services would be provided to catering for pregnant women, as well as children from infancy to adolescence. 

She said proper socialisation was important in raising a child and government would ensure that a curriculum that caters for developing upright citizens.

Meanwhile, MP for Okavango West, Mr Kenny Kapinga,, emphasised the necessity of a coherent national security strategy to guide and govern the security sector in Botswana.

He underscored the importance of strategic direction, resource allocation, and clarity in the purpose of funding within this sector. 

Mr Kapinga criticised past practices of haphazard funding, particularly highlighting the controversial purchase of farms by the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DISS), which he described as a misallocation of state resources. He urged the government to address historical legal injustices, including the alleged fabrication of evidence in the Butterfly Case involving DISS agent Wilhelminah Maswabi, as well as the injustice faced by former Lobatse MP Dr Thapelo Matsheka. “To restore Botswana’s reputation as a nation committed to the rule of law, it is imperative that the government undertakes the necessary revisions in public service, adhering strictly to due process,” Mr Kapinga stated.

In his address, he also called for affirmative action in regions like Okavango and Ghanzi, areas suffering from high poverty rates and underdevelopment that necessitate significant state intervention.

Mr  Kapinga advocated for an enhanced road network, specifically the development of the Nxamasere-Tsodilo-Chukumuchu road, which he believes would not only improve residents’ access but also stimulate tourism around the culturally significant Tsodilo Hills heritage site.

Moreover, he highlighted the need for an agricultural policy tailored to regional specifics, recognizing that diverse challenges such as human-wildlife conflict and low mechanization levels hinder farming in different parts of the country. 

Mr Kapinga proposed targeted solutions to address these issues, aiming to uplift the agricultural sector and contribute to economic development. BOPA