09 Oct 2019

Candidates vying for the Mahalapye West parliamentary seat have described Mahalapye as an ideal location for industrialisation.

Strategically located along the AI road, Mahalapye also houses Botswana Railways headquarters.

The candidates shared their views during the Radio Botswana parliamentary debates on October 8, as they also agreed that Mahalapye River, which ran through the village, had the potential to boost agriculture projects.

Mahalapye West has representatives from Alliance for Progressives (AP), Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) and the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).

Mr Tsholofelo Sebele of AP said his government would serve the interests of the people by building strong and robust democratic institutions.

He said there was an urgent need to augment manufacturing output and engage in other activities aimed at revitalising the economy.  

Mr Sebele however decried that there was a shortage of residential land.

He, therefore, said focus would be on ensuring transparent and prompt processes in land allocation.

Mr Sebele said the village’s location as a major corridor to the two major cities, was ideal for industrialisation.

He said the railway line also offered the village a competitive advantage as a place to house major industries.

He said the seasonal Mahalapye River had the potential to empower small projects in horticulture.

He said the water could also be used in projects such as car washes, so as to conserve potable water.

Mr Sebele also emphasised the need to establish syndicate boreholes for irrigation at ploughing fields to increase food production.

He said given that Mahalapye was made up of people of diverse cultures, a cultural village could be one of the projects to be pursued to empower the community.

Mr Bernard Bolele of the BDP  said his party would continue to prioritise the interest of Batswana.

He said so far, through the BDP-led government, the water supply network had been serviced to improve water supply and distribution in Mahalapye.

He said locations such as Kanamo and Cornsfield had now been included in the water and electricity networks.

Mr Bolele said he also advocated for the review of Special Constables contracts of employment.

“They were offered short term contracts, and my motion in Parliament succeeded, leading to the current arrangement,” said Mr Bolele.

Mr Bolele said BDP was equally aware and concerned that there was a backlog in the allocation of land, which he said the party was determined to address.

He said if voted into Parliament, he would also advocate for the extension of power supply to land demarcated for residential allocations.

Mr Bolele noted that one of the challenges was the current power cuts, which he said if given another opportunity to govern, the BDP was determined to address.

He also observed that Mahalapye was a flood plain and therefore prone to flooding during the rainy season.

He said a storm water drainage system master plan would address the current challenge.

He also indicated that the bus rank was also located in an area prone to flooding; adding that relocating it to a new location would be an ideal situation.

He said the BDP government was determined to improve food production and grow the industrial and business sector.

The BPF’s Mr Agobakwe Magapa said his party was determined to improve the quality of education.

He said improved interaction between the teacher and students would result in better understanding and therefore delivering quality education.

He said a ratio of 30 pupils per teacher was ideal under the BPF government, but would gradually move towards the internationally set ratio of 25 students in a class.

“We want education with production. There is an urgent need to develop our education,” said Mr Magapa.

Mr Magapa also added that the BPF government would advocate for the revival of bogosi.

He said under the current set up, dikgosi were not given the respect they deserved, adding that they must rank higher in the order of precedence.

He said the BPF would also increase old-age pension and its qualifying age of 60 years lowered,  emphasising that the elderly deserved more.

He said senior citizens aged 70 years and above would be issued with subsidised coupons to be used as travel warrants covering transport fees.

Mr Magapa said under the BPF government, young people earning salaries under P10 000 would be offered a government housing scheme.

He said they would also prioritise gender equality, with balance when it comes to leadership and empowerment opportunities.  

Mr Magapa said since the BPF did not condone the current status of the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC), efforts would be made to revive the sector and ensure that farmers got value on their cattle sold to BMC.

He said the BPF government would strive for the revival of the agriculture sector to improve food production.

Mr David Tshere of the UDC  said his party would revive the fortunes of the village and improve the livelihoods of its inhabitants.

Mr Tshere decried what he termed the deteriorating status of health services in Mahalapye.

He said the closure of the old Mahalapye Primary Hospital was an ill-informed decision as it had greatly affected the provision of health services in the village.

He said the UDC government would also address the challenge of shortage of drugs by establishing Central Medical Stores in Mahalapye.

He also added that clinics and health posts must be under the ministry of local government and rural development as a mitigating move aimed at improving service delivery.

On education issues, Mr Tshere noted that Madiba Senior Secondary School was congested, thereby affecting the pupil’s performance.

“Our priority as the UDC is to empower our children with quality education.

Education is paramount in making informed decisions in the future,” said Mr Tshere.

Mr Tshere said maintenance works was one of the major areas that would be used to create employment opportunities under the UDC government.

“We are targeting 2 000 jobs in the constituency through public works, the majority of which will be maintenance projects,” said Mr Tshere.

He said maintenance related activities had the potential to create employment opportunities.

He also noted that brigades students were not offered the relevant knowledge as they lacked practical skills.

He said vocational skills were acquired through practical activities.

He also noted that infrastructure development, internal roads and drainage system were a challenge in Mahalapye.

Mr Tshere also said the UDC government would consider establishing a western bypass in Mahalapye to reduce traffic congestion along A1. ENDS