14 Oct 2019

Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) leader, Advocate Duma Boko says the high unemployment rate is a ticking time bomb that needs to be addressed urgently.

He said the UDC had decided to put a time frame on their promises since the country was on a downward spiral.

He said this at the joint launch of UDC Kanye North and Kanye South parliamentary candidates, Messrs Otlaadisa Koosaletse and Victor Phologolo and council candidates on Saturday.

Advocate Boko said his party was committed to creating 100 000 jobs in 12 months as a way of alleviating poverty among Batswana. He also said they intended to uplift lives through decent jobs and wages, adding that creation of more jobs would empower more  breadwinners to feed their families.

He said the P3 000 minimum wage, which the UDC was advocating for, called for a holistic review of the public service salary structure, saying the current salary structure did not improve the quality of life. He said the low salaries had resulted in low productivity within the public service.

Furthermore, he underscored the need to appreciate the role played by pensioners by increasing their monthly allowances to P1 500, stressing that they had to be acknowledged as key players in the development of the country.

Advocaate Boko said in an endeavour to show commitment to improving lives, the UDC had already started distributing sanitary pads in schools across the country.

The UDC leader said they aspired to build world class infrastructure to promote economic activity within the SADC region.

He said revamping the A1 road would go a long way in enhancing trade between countries as well as easing traffic flow.

He added that the introduction of toll gates would boost the economy of the country.

He said there was need to use 21^st century technologies to deliver quality health services, adding that such technologies would help in effectively managing diseases, thereby avoiding unnecessary costs to patients and the country.

He implored Kanye residents to vote for UDC candidates to secure better lives for their families, while calling on candidates to be resilient and prepared for the challenges associated with their positions.

He said the political landscape was more challenging than in the last general elections.

He underscored the importance of consultation between leaders and constituents, saying it was key to democracy and developments.

Accepting the candidacy, Mr Phologolo assured the UDC leader that all council candidates in Kanye South were capable leaders who would win the constituency for the UDC.

wHe promised that once elected, he would work with them to deliver developments.

For his part, Mr Koosaletse commended Advocate Boko for building a formidable opposition after previous efforts failed.

He said he was optimistic that the UDC would win the upcoming general election. ENDs