06 Oct 2024

The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has a robust plan aimed at improving the lives of Batswana through tailor-made programmes for various sectors of the society, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has said.

Officially launching the party’s Jwaneng/Mabutsane parliamentary candidate, Mr John Motsumi and 19 council candidates in Jwaneng on Saturday, Dr Masisi said BDP’s track record and future plans for Batswana were testament to its  commitment towards improving lives and growing the economy.

He noted that the new diamond sales agreement between government and De Beers, orchestrated by the BDP-led government, was aligned to the country’s aspirations of becoming a knowledge-based economy.

“This new agreement now increases total revenue stream, promotes innovation and increases job opportunities for Batswana,” he said. In addition to extending the lifespan of Jwaneng Mine through underground mining, Dr Masisi said his party had intentions to develop Jwaneng to reflect its status as home to the richest diamond mine by value.

He said plans were underway to prepare the region for other economic diversification projects besides diamond mining. Dr Masisi said major projects earmarked for Jwaneng included commercial sheep production, tourism and the establishment of an integrated facility for agricultural value chain development.

However, the BDP leader  underscored the need for fair distribution of the mining proceeds to benefit all areas of the country.
“BDP is a national party which ensures that the country’s resources are distributed equally and fairly. We understand that these minerals are for national development,” he said.

President Masisi said government had taken a deliberate decision to prioritise citizen companies and extended the same to those engaged by Debswana. He noted that such a move was intended to empower citizens and grow the local economy.

Furthermore, President Masisi said BDP-led government was committed to developing and growing the creative industry to create more job opportunities for young people.
He said the overall objective was to create an enabling environment for creatives to export their talent for their financial benefit.

Dr Masisi noted that the school digitalisation programme, which was part of knowledge-based economy drive, also empowered Batswana in various ramifications of the technology sector.

He assured Jwaneng/Mabutsane constituents that plans were ongoing to address water challenges in their region, particularly in Sese whose population continued to grow, due to its proximity to Jwaneng. He said Mr Motsumi had also hit the ground running by augmenting government’s resources to ensure that Sese residents had potable water.

A member of the BDP central committee, Mr Oabile Ragoeng said he was confident that the party would win the Jwaneng/Mabutsane constituency during the elections. He applauded all the committees for continuing to work tirelessly towards victory.

He implored all those who lost in the primary elections to put their differences aside, unite and work together towards a common goal.

Nonetheless, Mr Regoeng acknowledged that the region had to work hard to ensure that women representation improved.

“I can see that there is only one woman council candidate among 18 men, and I urge you to at least target 50/50 representation in future. I believe women are capable leaders since they also manage homes,” he said.

For his part, Mr Motsumi said they were intending to use the remaining days to solidify their win in the upcoming elections. He appealed to the constituents to vote for him and council candidates to ensure effective implementation of BDP programmes and policies.

He said that top on his list was advocating for the Jwaneng-Maokane road and an overhaul of Sese road infrastructure. ENDS