03 Sep 2014

Education under Botswana Congress Party (BCP) will be free and compulsory with the education ministry being divided into the ministries of basic education and higher education, party leader, Mr Dumelang Saleshando has said.

Speaking during the joint launch of prospective Parliamentary and council candidates for Serowe region (Serowe West, Serowe North and Serowe South) Mr Saleshando said his government would ensure that children attended kindergarten at three years.

The BCP leader told the gathering at the Serowe Bus Rank that the other change that his party would usher in would be to enable colleges of education to offer degree courses .

Mr Saleshando said his party had a reputation for advocating for the welfare of teachers, arguing that they stood against the inclusion of teachers into the essential services cadre.

On labour issues, he said his party would have a ministry of labour which will specifically deal with labour issues “led by the tried and tested unionist Mr Goretetse Kekgonegile.” 

He said the BCP government would scrap the minimum wage and replace it with a living wage because the wage discrepancies that existed between employees of supermarkets that trade in Botswana and their counterparts in South Africa were vast with the latter enjoying improved benefits.

He appealed to Batswana to give his party only five years so that they could prove their mettle alleging  that the current regime had no solution for unemployment and corruption.

Speaking on behalf of potential candidates, Serowe North parliamentary  hopeful, Ms Basego Motswakhumo challenged the residents of Serowe and neighboring villages to separate bogosi from politics.

She advised against voting along royalty lines.  She said that her party was clear on intent and readiness to lead. ENDS