24 Jun 2014

Batswana should not be misled into believing that there is no alternative to the current government, says the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) leader, Mr Dumelang Shaleshando.

Speaking during the launch of the party parliamentary and council candidates for Ramotswa constituency on June 22, Mr Saleshando said, “this is the time for Botswana Congress Party.”

Mr Shaleshando said the BCP would go into this year’s general election as the only stable political party among those contesting and this showed that the party had matured and was ready to take over government.

He said his party will give priority to addressing the quality of the country’s education system so that it could produces quality graduates. The current underperformance by schools should be blamed on the ruling party because it had failed to prioritise on education, he added.

He said the BCP government would also empower Batswana economically so that they could partake in the country’s economy.

Furthermore, Mr Shaleshando said upon assuming the state power, the BCP government would create jobs for citizens and they would achieve that through ensuring that the country benefitted from its natural resources such as diamonds, copper, soda ash and hides through local processing of such products.

He said Botswana exported its jobs to countries in the region and abroad as its products were sent there to be processed and create jobs, while Batswana remained unemployed.

However, he said for the BCP to assume state power, they would need the support of the Ramotswa constituents through voting the party candidates for council and parliament.

He also hailed the parliamentary candidate, Mr Samuel Rantuana, as a reputable business man who will not be fearful to speak for the Ramotswa constituency.

Another speaker, former BCP Youth League president, Mr Lotty Manyepedza pleaded with the constituents to vote for Mr Rantuana and his council candidates, warning that voting for the ruling party would be suicidal as it had failed to empower Batswana.

Mr Manyepedza said programmes such as Ipelegeng and Tirelo Sechaba would not uplift the living standards of the beneficiaries.

For his part, Mr Rantuana said upon resuming state power, the BCP will have a massive task of rehabilitating the country from unemployment, underemployment and disgruntled workforce.

Mr Rantuana said he was ready to serve the people of Ramotswa and to advocate for their better welfare. ENDS