22 Jul 2014

Botswana Congress Party (BCP)’s newly unveiled affirmative action that favours women and youth will see seven women parliamentary candidates and seven youth parliamentary candidates contesting the coming general elections.

Speaking at the 2014 Extraordinary Congress at Ledumang Senior Secondary School during the President's Day holidays, BCP leader Mr Dumelang Saleshando said the numbers might be inadequate but he is convinced it is a commendable development.

Mr Saleshando said his party still needed to do more to attract more women and the youth who form a large portion of the voting block to also participate as candidates for elections.

He said what was needed now was to guard against a culture of entitlement in which those who contest for primaries use the party as an employment agency for jobs as councillors or MPs.

The party leader told delegates that BCP had made several proposals for the 2014 general election in its manifesto that have been tried and tested in many countries.

He said one of the proposals was that of the mother tongue as language of instruction in schools.

He said BCP was a strong advocate for home language instruction in areas where Setswana was not the main language within a given locality.

He said in some areas across the country, there was a complete communication barrier between teachers and students, resulting in Standard One pupils failing to proceed to Standard Two.

Mr Saleshando, who is also the MP for Gaborone Central, said the other proposals was that of the promotion of other languages through the media, adding that closely linked to the issue of home language, the manifesto proposed that there be community based media platforms such as community radio stations and newspapers to promote cultural diversity.

He said a recent debate in parliament proposing that other languages be used by state broadcasters attracted accusations of tribalism saying there was a difference between tribalism and promoting cultural diversity.

He said in the eyes of the BDP, development meant abandoning one’s language and speaking English better that the British.

“How can we celebrate our culture if we shun our language,” he asked.

He also said if voted into power, the BCP would strive to address the issue of land shortage, adding that Botswana was the 48^th largest country in the whole world but, ironically, there was not enough land for people.

He said the average waiting period for a SHAA plot was over 20 years in Gaborone, “while the rich, including foreign nationals and those who are politically connected, are able to secure numerous plots within short a period of time.”

In addition, Mr Saleshando said land authorities in the country were plagued by inefficiency and corruption, and that there was no transparency in the management of land.

He said the artificial shortage that had been created has led to high property costs and rentals and that many working people could afford decent houses.

He said the BCP was therefore convinced that there was need to conduct a comprehensive land audit with all previous Commissions of Enquiry that looked into land allocation.

He said the BCP government also pledges to promote home ownership and that Value Added Tax would be removed for first time home owners, adding that the Botswana Housing Corporation would be restructured to provide affordable housing, particularly for the low and middle income groups.

BCP , he said was “ready to lead Botswana out of the cross roads as there is an alternative to failing public schools, a collapsing health sector, unemployment, poverty, corruption, land shortage and politics of the red cross.” ENDS