23 Feb 2025

 The country is besieged by high levels of poverty and requires a comprehensive social welfare programme guaranteeing economic and social rights to all, Bobirwa MP Mr Taolo Lucas has told parliament.

Speaking in Parliament on Friday, Mr Lucas said President Advocate Duma Boko in his State of the Nation Address had set the tone for a human rights approach to governance and such, required tangible effort from government.

Mr Lucas said it was thus important to know if the first budget by an Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government should had guaranteed second generation rights, including the right to decent work, social security, health, education, shelter and a healthy environment.

He further said government should be the one taking the lead on the P4 000 living wage, but had instead outsourced the matter to private companies such as Choppies Enterprises Limited.

While thanking government for improving the old age pension scheme, Mr Lucas said other sectors of society have the right to social security, including the unemployed whom he said his party the Botswana Congress Party promised P600 unemployment benefit in their manifesto.

He added that people involved in home based care, orphans and the disabled should also receive improved benefits. 

Mr Lucas said Mathathane-Motlhabaneng, Bobonong-Lepokole roads as well as Bobonong internal roads were in a poor state, and pleaded with government for an improvement.

He lamented that the road connecting Platjan and Mathathane had been funded, but there had been delays in its construction.

Speaking on the same day, Tonota MP, Mr Gaefele Sedombo said he was pleased that government would finally fulfill the infrastructure development long spoken of by the late leader of the opposition Dr Kenneth Koma, through the intended drawing of water from the Chobe-Zambezi Rivers for irrigation-based agriculture.

Mr Sedombo also called for seed production, rainwater harvesting and development of dams in farming areas in order to boost crop production in the country.

He added that his area had good prospects of horticultural production along the Shashe River, but that could be negatively impacted on if excessive sand river harvesting was to be permitted.

Additionally Mr Sedombo called for more health personnel and equipment in Tonota health facilities to reduce reliance on referral to hospitals in Francistown.

He thanked government for a commitment to invest in vocational education and said particular attention should be given to improving Shashe Brigade, which he said needed more courses than welding, bricklaying and had land that could be utilised. ENDS