21 Jul 2019

Leader of Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Advocate Duma Boko says it is high time Botswana shifted from intellectually based education to incorporate talent based education.

Launching the UDC parliamentary and council prospective candidates in Tati West constituency in Masunga on Saturday, the UDC leader said he believed every Motswana possessed a God given talent which he could excel at if nurtured well.

Advocate Boko stated that there were learners who did not do well in school not because they were dull, but because they lacked nurturing in their field of talent.

He said some people were athletes, farmers or artisans and that their dream died because of the education system that preached intellectuality above everything. He said the classroom set-up was exhausting for teachers because the teacher learner ratio was not balanced, adding that one teacher was assigned to teach over 50 pupils.

He said they wanted every class to have a limited number of 25 learners to enable teachers to focus and give attention to every learner’s needs. This, he said, would also create employment for many graduate teachers who were roaming the streets without jobs.

Adv. Boko said unemployment was a major concern in Botswana, adding that as UDC, upon winning elections, they would create 100 000 jobs annually for Batswana.

He highlighted that they would also improve the working conditions of public servants because they had realised that some government structures were not efficient, as some officers were being paid P1 600 a month which was below the living wage.

Tati West prospective parliamentary candidate, Mr Tshepo Makhani stated that land shortage was a major concern in the North East District, as residents had no agricultural land or residential plots.

He said prior to releasing the UDC manifesto, the party leaders consulted electorates in different constituencies in order to appreciate their challenges and needs so that they incorporated them in the manifesto.

Mr Makhani noted that some villages in Tati West faced water shortage yet they had one of the largest dams in the country, Ntimbale, hence he wanted to vigorously address the problem if elected.

Welcoming guests at the village, Kgosi Maruje III of Masunga said it was every eligible Motswana’s responsibility to elect a leader of their choice, hence the need to go and vote.

He said north east was an academic district that needed someone who was innovative and active to come up with ideas that could save the district from youth unemployment.

He reiterated that shortage of land was a major worry in the North East District which needed to be addressed in order to ensure residents had land for businesses and residential.

Gaborone North MP, Mr Haskins Nkaigwa said a good portion of land in Botswana was in the hands of foreigners, adding that laws should be amended to ensure Batswana owned land in their country.

He said the UDC aimed to create jobs because many Batswana were roaming the streets with certificates, adding that some had taken jobs that they were underqualified for just to put food on the table. ENDS