Daily News does not publish on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Please email your comments to DailyNews@gov.bw

From 6 July 2006, a graphic version of the current edition is available at the Daily News Online web site.

Archive by year

BOPA News on 07 March 2001

There were only 10 such teachers at primary school level, he said. Kgoroba was answering a question from the Okavango MP, Joseph Kavindama, who had wanted to know the number of expatriate teachers currently in Botswana. On localisation, he said most of the positions were expected to be localised during the next plan period.

He explained that full localisation had not been possible during the current plan period due to the increase in the number of schools, implementation of the Revised National Policy on Education and the introduction of new subjects into the curriculum.

Temane said BMC pricing excluded the reality of the farming situation as it was based on theoretical economic considerations.

Commenting on the Ministry of Agriculture's budget for the next financial year, Temane said in neighbouring countries such as Namibia, abattoirs bought livestock at much higher prices.

The MP requested government to seriously consider reopening the Maun abattoir because farmers could produce enough to supply it.

He appealed to government not to allow game farming in areas designated for other activities such as pastoral farming.

Temane gave Hainaveld as an example saying some people gave the land board the impression that game and livestock farming could go together. He said the amount of conflict between the two was enormous and should therefore be kept separate.

On the Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board (BAMB), Temane said comparing its prices with those in the region was unfair since farmers in countries such as South Africa were heavily subsidised.

Shoshong MP Duke Lefhoko complained that the ministry was taking too long to make public the report on agriculture by Israeli consultants.

Lefhoko discouraged the move by government to give idle boreholes to farmers arguing that it would cause overgrazing.

"This could lead to land degradation. People who want boreholes should follow proper channels, be allocated land and be able to drill boreholes themselves," he said.

The MP for Ngwaketse South, Kebadire Kalake, said the transfer of former permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Lucas Gakale would hamper the implementation of agricultural programmes.

He requested government to bring back Gakale, now permanent secretary at the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications.

Kalake described the P5 million and P300 000 allocated to livestock water development and dairy farming as inadequate. He said the allocation showed lack of seriousness on the part of government to develop dairy farming.

The MP complained about lack of transport within the department, which hindered veterinary officers and agricultural demonstrators from providing farmers with the necessary services.

They were making representations before the Presidential Local Government Structure Commission at the Mochudi main kgotla. The first to speak about such councillors was Montsho Mosothwane and was later supported by Palai Rapalai.

Mosothwane told commissioners that when councillors were in council chambers they pretended to be clever than the people who elected them by refusing to serve on council committees because of differences.

Rapalai said Mochudi councillors who refused to be elected to council committees should be fired because they were refusing to perform a function for which they were elected. Still on council, Samuel Mekgwe told the commissioners that the quality of presentations at council, land board and even parliamentary levels left much to be desired because of vote-buying.

He claimed that in most cases people who got elected were "a hopeless lot" and concurred with his colleagues that non-performers should be sacked. Mekgwe and Rapalai suggested that there should be an age limit for one to be elected as a councillor, land board member or MP. Some proposed 30 years for one to be elected councillor and for the land board 60 years and above.

On projects, Mosothwane said each year council projects were not completed and councillors were blamed for it, instead of the council management team who were the implementers. He said since Ray Molomo ceased to be the MP for the area, the Pilane Industrial Site was idle because there was no money and yet it could have provided Bakgatla children with employment if developed.

On other issues, Mosothwane said land board members in Kgatleng were now "land lords because the land is no longer for the people but for the land board". He said in Kgatleng "it is not the applicant who comes with the witness but the land board chooses its own witnesses and not the people close to the plot one had applied for".

On land board elections, those who spoke such as Mmabina Sellwe said they were partisan, because in most cases winners happened to be people who were in good books with ministers.

Nkgedi Mogomotsi agreed that elections were not free and fair while Rapalai suggested that land board posts should be advertised and officers hired on merit. John Letsholo told the commissioners that delays by land boards to allocate land led to squatting.

Another speaker, Montshioa Mabodise said there was no consultation among government structures. He pointed out that for instance, when government bought vehicles for MPs and councillors there was no consultation. When government made it mandatory for people to retire at the age of 60 nobody was consulted either, he said.

He also said the way land board members were elected was unfair and suggested that a chief's representative should sit on the land board.

Ishmael Molefe complained to the commissioners that councils were cheating Batswana when they pretended to be selling stray cattle when infect such cattle were branded and had an earmark.

He suggested that stray cattle should be those without brands and earmarks or have ineligible brands. He said cattle owners should be informed since all brands were registered and owners well documented. He said calling branded cattle Matimela was theft by the council and asked the commission to note the complaint.

He said P75 million was needed for activities under the ministry's headquarters part of which would be allocated to the University of Botswana for completion of ongoing projects.

The projects include phase two of the library extension, centre for continuing education building and sports facilities.

Kgoroba said the funds would also be used to cover preparatory work for the faculty of engineering and technology facilities and the faculty of business building.

Other projects under headquarters Kgoroba mentioned were construction of the examination's building and storage facilities of the Division of Examination, Research and Testing. Kgoroba said part of the money was required to cover the balance of funds to be paid to the consultants who were developing the new examination data processing system, computerisation programme as well as internet access for students and student placement records system.

The balance of the funds requested under headquarters, he said were for the construction of a braille computer unit, hydrotherapy pool and staff houses at the Tlokweng Resource Centre. In addition, the budget would cover a study on indigenous languages and evaluation of the junior achievement programme.

On vocational and training education, Kgoroba said the department needed P84 million to cover phase two of the brigades development project, upgrading of vocational technical colleges and construction of staff housing, a science and technology block and workshop for students with disabilities at the Gaborone Technical College.

Also, some repairs would be carried out at the Automotive Trades Technical College as well as the immediate development of programmes at certificate level for the new Botswana Vocational and Technical Education Programme.

Kgoroba said the Department of Non Formal Education requested P20 million for two major projects. They are the construction of the Botswana College of Distance and Open Learning (BOCODOL) and Matsha Non-Formal Education Centre in Kang.

The secondary education department requested P187 million to cover the establishment of a new community junior secondary school at Mosu, as well as provision of additional facilities and upgrading in various community junior secondary schools.

Kgoroba also requested P19,1 million for the Department of Teacher Training and Development for three projects.

The minister, who was the guest speaker at a Mental Health Association of Botswana (MHAB) fund-raising dinner dance at Boipuso Hall, urged Batswana to double their efforts in tackling mental health problems.

"Our efforts as individuals, organisations and communities at large will go a long way in complimenting government efforts to keep Botswana a healthy nation," Phumaphi said.

She said the event was part of a series being organised to observe World Health Day 2001 to be commemorated on April 7.

The minister said this year's theme, "Mental Health: Stop Exclusion - Dare to care", was a reminder not to forget or push those with mental health problems to the backyards.

She said her ministry would lead the crusade by including people with mental problems in the general health care system.

"We should not fear such people, but go all the way to care for them because mental health can affect anybody," she said.

The health minister said it was unfortunate that in many instances mental health was ignored or given scant attention to the detriment of the sufferers. She commended the mental health association for joining hands with the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to observe this year's World Health Day.

The minister lamented that the number of people diagnosed with mental illness in Botswana was rising and hospitals were full because they ended up admitting even those who could be cared for at home.

Giving a vote of thanks, MHAB chairperson Audrey Kgosidintsi said "more emphasis should be placed on issues leading to mental health problems to avoid having to care for them later in life".

Local musicians are now all out to prove their mettle even though it would be hard for them to break into the South African market so that the boot could go into the other foot. The upcoming third Botswana Music Awards to be held on April 28 at the Special Support Group Hall.

The annual music awards which begun in 1999 is one way through which Batswana musicians want their music heard locally and internationally The man behind Botswana Music Awards, Chase Mhango, made his critics eat humble pie when he was being criticised for having swindled sponsorship money when he started the concept of music awards about two years ago.

Mhango said there were no funds and wondered as to how he could have embezzled funds that were not there.

He did not bow down to such unfounded allegations and went ahead with the event where Phempheretlhe Bafana Pheto snatched the gospel music, Les Africa Sounds, the popular music category, KTM, the choral category and Styka Sola and Sister, the traditional category.

After winning the event, Styka Sola went into oblivion and did not even take part in the last awards where George Swabi and Taolo Moshaga of Lonaka band won the kwasa-kwasa and traditional categories.

Master Dee won the reggae category, Mmereki Marakakgoro won Gospel, Stena snatched the kwaito award and Nosey road the rock award.

At the end of the show many a music lover felt that the music genres were not well categorised as Nosey Road and Metal Orizon were not playing the same type of rock music. It also surfaced that the line between kwaito, R&B and hip-hop was too thin for one to make a clear distinction.

Brown Sugar under the watchful eye of Solo B won the R&B category. It is unfortunate that they might not be taking part in the coming music awards because they have decided to pursue some of their interests in life other than music.

Mhango said the music awards was not a fund- raising activity. He added that they only depended on sponsorship from well-wishers.

He that they were working hard to establish Botswana Music Academy where creative artists would be groomed. Mhango, who is the chairman of the main organising committee, said they have already received about 50 entries as compared to last year's 35.

He said some of the big names in the local entertainment industry to grace the occasion would include Duncan Senyatso, Master Dee, Sakaye "Kings" Lekofi Sejeso, Momo and Mpho Loeto.

Mhago said the local media would be actively involved in the upcoming event as radio presenters would be made to choose a song of the year and print media journalists would choose the best group of the year.

He was responding to a question from the MP for South East, Lesego Motsumi, who had said standpipes were being removed in the district and wanted to know the ministry's plans for providing destitute households with water.

Mokgothu said except in one ward, closed standpipes were not the only watering points in the affected ward and residents travelled no more than the allowed 400 metres to get water.

He said the ministry would assist if there was information showing that some people were adversely affected by the closure of some standpipes.

Justifying the move, the minister stressed that action had to be taken because not only were some of the standpipes under-utilised but the loss of water through damaged standpipes was costly.

"We may therefore need to rationalise the number of standpipes and involve the users in managing the standpipes to reduce the incidence of vandalism, abuse and wastage of water," Mokgothu said.

Minister Kgoroba explained in Parliament that the ministry had expanded placement of students for tertiary institutions in the region.

"The country that had admitted more students due largely to its capacity is the Republic of South Africa," he said.

He said the cost per student was about P41 000. Kgoroba was responding to a question from the MP for Okavango, Joseph Kavindama, who had asked for the number of students enrolled in South African institutions and the total cost expected to be incurred during this academic year.

Answering another question from Kavindama, Kgoroba said he would not be able to increase allowances for tertiary institution students or award them a cost of living inflationary adjustment.

The reason, he said, was because the ministry faced a mammoth task of catering for the abolition of Tirelo Setshaba. He reminded Parliament that an additional P150 million had to be provided over and above the 200/2001 bursaries budget.

"It will therefore not be possible to make further demands on the bursaries budget," he said. Kavindama had asked the minister if he would consider increasing allowances and awarding a cost of living inflationary adjustment to students of tertiary institutions.

Answering yet another question, Kgoroba said government was not yet ready to provide pre-school infrastructure due to heavy commitment to other levels of education.

He told Parliament that the Revised National Policy on Education only directed the ministry to create an enabling environment including the training of teachers, curriculum development and supervision of pre-schools.

The provision, he said, was intended to facilitate an improved delivery of this level of education by the private sector and non-governmental organisations. He said the ministry had made some progress in the implementation of the policy in that a pre-school unit and a pre-school development committee had been established.

In addition, a comprehensive draft policy for early childhood care and education had been developed, he said.

Kgoroba said plans were also underway to engage a consultant for the development of a curriculum.

Kavindama had asked if pre-school facilities would in the near future be introduced as part of the primary school structure.

The station's principal broadcasting engineer Kingsley Reetsang said in an interview, that the power went off at 12:05 when the BPC transformer exploded and caught fire.

Reetsang said as an alternative live studios and the control room had to use the Outside Broadcasting van's generator, which had too little power to supply the whole station.

However, the studio manager (operations) Reginah Mpotokwane said they had borrowed a generator from the Department of Electrical and Mechanical Services to help supply the News Desk and the recording studios with power.

Police are investigating the cause of the blast.

The driver, George Brits, 41, a South African, appeared before Selebi-Phikwe chief magistrate Kenneth Obeng on Monday on 15 counts of "causing death by driving a motor vehicle which is in such a condition as to constitute a danger to the public".

Brits, who works for Duck Carriers South Africa, a transport company, was not asked to plead. But he mentioned his intention to engage a lawyer.

Brits is alleged to have, on February 28 this year, along the Gaborone/Francistown road, near Sese Gate, driven a motor vehicle, whose trailer was detached from the drawing vehicle and collided with a government vehicle, causing the death of 15 Zimbabweans.

Prosecutor Galebutswe Molefhe pleaded with the court to remand Brits for 14 days because investigations were still at an early stage.

The magistrate upheld the state's application. Meantime, 19 survivors who were held in custody in Selebi-Phikwe were repatriated on Saturday, according to traffic divisional commander (North), senior superintendent Thabano Kadimo.

He said nine other survivors were still in hospital in Francistown while seven were in Selebi-Phikwe in a critical condition.

He said only one of the remaining five bodies in Selebi-Phikwe had so far been identified.

The students complained in a letter entitled "Reluctance of Ministry of Education" that education minister George Kgoroba and the Department of Vocational Education and Training (DVET) on many occasions failed to address their concerns.

Town Clerk Paulos Nkoni received the letter addressed to Vice President Seretse Khama Ian Khama from Student's Representative Council Secretary Molebatsi Mukani.

The students said they expected to get a feedback on or before March 19.

Among other things, students requested the Vice President's office to authorise a new BTVE programme because the current one was affecting the "already stricken learning process across all the technical colleges".

Other colleges are Palapye, Maun, Gaborone, Jwaneng and Automotive Trades Technical College.

They appealed for urgent attention to be paid to the matter, saying, "in this time of high standard of living the training allowance has been terminated without proper consultation with concerned parties".

Students attached to the letter a list of their grievances and demands which include complaints that their libraries have inadequate reference books and that students have little time to access them, demanding that libraries should operate even at night and over the weekends.

They want their computer literacy to be given higher consideration and that principals should provide adequate information pertaining to courses.

Contributing to the debate on Ministry of Education budget, Tonota MP Pono Moatlhodi launched a scathing attack on the UB management.

He said in August, 1998 the university spent about P492 000 to replace two Audi vehicles for a Motswana professor, one of which was sold to the professor without following the normal procedures.

He also complained that an acting Motswana director, who had been in the position for over a year, was suddenly replaced by an expatriate earning a package of P198 000 per annum.

The UB management was also accused of demanding unnecessarily high qualifications for the newly created post of director of the University Foundation in order to discourage Batswana from applying.

Moatlhodi said it was regrettable that the management gave the post of public relations officer to the wife of a foreign diplomat and asked whether it was necessary to employ a foreigner when there were a lot of qualified Batswana who could do the job.

"The financial systems at the University of Botswana are horrible because people continue to claim money they did not spend from the UB coffers."

Moatlhodi also complained that after one of the UB bursars retired in March last year, his signature continued to be seen at one of the commercial banks until early this year.

On other issues, the MP called on the Ombudsman to investigate thoroughly the issue of students who recently returned from Malaysia.

Moatlhodi said he suspected there was more to it than meets the eye because the Ministry of Education had for a long time been plagued by student placement problems.

He attributed the problem partly to the overstaying of some officers in the ministry and appealed to President Festus Mogae to have them removed.

Moatlhodi also complained about what he called the influx of expatriates in the teaching profession, noting that 85 per cent of the lecturers at the Tonota College of Education were expatriates.

MP for Ngwaketse West Michael Tshipinare complained about the low salaries for primary school teachers and that the budget for transport during school activities was too small.

Tshipinare said teachers often used their vehicles to transport pupils to music competitions while those who accompanied students were not paid subsistence allowance.

He said many teachers had left the profession because of poor conditions.

MP for Kanye Omphitlhetse Maswabi said the categorisation of schools had retarded the advancement of primary school head teachers.

Even community junior secondary school heads were not able to advance despite having requisite qualifications for higher salary scales, he said.

Maswabi requested government to develop temporary teachers, some of whom he said had remained in that position for up to 10 years.

MP for Okavango Joseph Kavindama requested the Ministry of Education to take over the management of primary schools and the brigades.

Kavindama said it would be demeaning for government to accept that Batswana students who returned from Malaysia were undisciplined.It would mean that the nation was failing in bringing up children properly, he said.

Speaking at Mokgosi freedom square rally in Ramotswa, Paul Rantao told his audience that the trend in the world, particularly in Britain and the United States was for two parities to compete for government.

He said in the two-party systems splinter groups only reinforced the two major parties ­ the Conservative Party and Labour Party (UK) and Democratic Party and Republican Party (US).

He said the trend in Botswana had been the same since 1969, when the BNF first participated in elections and was voted the main opposition in Parliament, until the recent formation of the BCP.

Rantao said in other countries opposition parties come together to fight an election and called on rival parties like Botswana Alliance Movement (BAM) to join hands with the BNF to win.

He said the BNF "says BDP government is running the government wrongly while the BDP on the other hand says it is right".

Rantao challenged parties, which agreed with the BNF that the BDP government was wrong to join the BNF and those supporting the BDP to join the ruling party.

On why he rejoined the BNF, Rantao said Batswana were complaining that if the BNF did not split BDP could have lost the last election.

As a Christian he rejoined the BNF to follow the people's wishes.

He said having been a BNF member for 30 years the two years he spent with the BCP was like staying with the BNF for 30 minutes and two minutes with BCP and said "in life there is time for one to be lost".

Another speaker at the rally was George Arbi who has also re-joined BNF from the BCP. He told the audience that he was one of the counting agents for the BCP during last election in Ramotswa when he realised that people did not like the BCP as Balete voted for the BNF parliamentarian who was not registered.

Arbi said 2 800 people voted for the BNF parliamentary candidate while the BCP candidate was nowhere nearer.

Earlier, Gaogakege Setilo told the rally that BNF would win the 2004 election because "all the things the party has been saying are now happening".

She claimed that the "scheme for the rich has been introduced to help those with companies, which is giving money to the rich at the exclusion of the poor".

Archive by year