Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697639995640.pdf (Botswana)
BOTSWANA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY O R D E R P A P E R (MONDAY 28TH NOVEMBER, 2022) QUESTIONS HRS/MINS 1400 – 1445 1.

MR. L. LESEDI, MP.
(SEROWE SOUTH): To ask the Minister of Transport and Public Works: (45) (i) if he is aware of the bad state of the A3 highway and what is being done to address the challenges presented by the deplorable state of the road; (ii) when his Ministry intends to reconstruct and repair the road to bring it to a roadworthy standard; (iii) if he is aware of the recurring dangerous potholes on this road and why he chooses to ignore them bearing in mind their danger to human life; (iv) how many people have lost their lives on the A3 in the last five (5) years and how many survived with minor injuries and those who sustained serious injuries in the same period; and (v) how many fatal and non-fatal accidents have occurred on this road in the last five (5) years.
2.

DR. N. TSHABANG, MP.

(NKANGE): To ask the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development to update this Honourable House on how: (36) (i) (ii) Ipelegeng skills will assist beneficiaries more than the skills obtained from brigades; and long the beneficiaries will be with the Ipelegeng Programme before they graduate and whether they will be issued certificates upon qualification.

3.

MR. K. C. HIKUAMA, MP.
(NGAMI): To ask the Minister of Defence and Security to explain to this Honourable House if he has an emergency plan of action to combat cattle rustling activities and livestock theft in general, which seem to be rampant and on the rise in the country, more especially in the North West Region; and to further state: (38) 1 (i) (ii) (iii) if he is aware that cattle rustling destabilises communities and undermines their normal livelihood, thus contributing to increased poverty and hopelessness; if he is aware that it poses danger to people's lives and security; and the current strategies in place used in combating cattle rustling or livestock theft and the challenges encountered by farmers.
4.

DR. T. MATSHEKA, MP.
(LOBATSE): To ask the Minister of Trade and Industry to update this Honourable House on Government’s commitment to grow the private sector and in particular: (49) (i) how many medium scale Centres of Excellence have been established in the country to date and further update on their operation in fostering private sector growth; (ii) how far the Government is in setting up Botswana as a start- up capital of Southern Africa; and (iii) how the manufacturing sector in particular has been incentivised.

5.
5.

MR. D. L. KEORAPETSE, MP.
(SELEBI PHIKWE WEST): To ask the Minister of Finance to state and explain to this Honourable House the demographic profile of Selebi Phikwe and in particular, to state: (50) (i) (ii) the number of young people (18-35 years) in the town; the number of these youths who are unemployed, underemployed and those that are categorized as poor but have completed tertiary education secondary and (Certificates (including National Crafts Certificate, Trade Test A, B, C), Diplomas, Degrees, Post-graduate qualifications), and to further state this number in Botswana in general; (iii) what specific policy interventions have been put in place, their impact in Selibe Phikwe (including figures), the target for employment of these young people and their alleviation from poverty; (iv) whether her Government is considering unemployment benefit and/or an allowance for all the unemployed Batswana; and (v) the number of unemployed people in the country.
2 6.

MR. P. MAJAGA, MP.
(NATA-GWETA): To ask the Minister of Environment and Tourism if she will consider: (51) (i) (ii) having a fixed date in the calendar for hosting the annual Makgadikgadi Epic; extending the duration of the event to at least one (1) week to boost the economy in that area; (iii) alternating the venues between Nata and Sowa Town to avoid potential conflicts in the Constituency; and (iv) grading the gravel roads in that area so that other modes of transport can access the area such as motorbikes and 4×4 vehicles.
7.

MR. T. LETSHOLO, MP.
(KANYE NORTH): To ask the Minister of Entrepreneurship if, in consideration of lessons learnt from COVID- 19, and in readiness for any similar circumstances in the future, he will consider implementing steps and actions in law, to simplify personal insolvency to allow entrepreneurs a discharge from their debts, to enter into voluntary arrangements with creditors and debt relief orders for a shorter period to allow them back to doing business; and further state: (53) (i) what is the extent to which such a law will rescue businesses and also give entrepreneurs a second chance; (ii) to be able if it would be prudent for such a law to enable individual entrepreneurs to propose voluntary arrangements with the help of an insolvency practitioner, to put proposals to creditors, to prepare a statement of affairs and then apply to Court of Law for a moratorium where no suit will be effective during this period; and (iii) if debts are so deferred and then paid as agreed, how this will benefit entrepreneurs and the economy in general.
8.

DR. K. GOBOTSWANG, MP.
(SEFHARE-RAMOKGONAMI): To ask the Minister of Education and Skills Development if he is aware that there are schools without proper or no kitchen facilities; the Minister should further state: (57) (i) (ii) plans in place to build a kitchen at Sesholo Junior Secondary School; if the Ministry has a standard plan for junior secondary schools and why some schools were constructed without kitchens; and 3 (iii) why schools continue to use firewood contrary to the stated Government policy on environment and natural resource conservation.
9.

MR. D. SALESHANDO, MP.

(MAUN WEST): To ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs to confirm if Government has purchased Plot 3125 (Sweden House) in Gaborone; if so, to state: (56) (i) the purchase price for the property; (ii) date of purchase; (iii) what the property has been utilised for since it was acquired; and (iv) if any other properties have been bought by Government within the vicinity of State House and the purpose for which they are utilised.

10.

MR. C. GREEFF, MP.
(GABORONE BONNINGTON SOUTH): To ask the Minister of Health to apprise this Honourable House on his Ministry’s privatisation strategy with timelines, if any; he should further state: (58) (i) if he is aware that a lot of private laboratories were opened during the COVID-19 Pandemic; (ii) how his Ministry is going to support private laboratories going forward; (iii) if there are any tests that can be outsourced to decongest public laboratories; and (iv) why his Ministry is still holding on to the Radiology and instead of Kidney Disease Management Departments allowing the private sector to operate them.
11.

MR. O. RAMOGAPI, MP.
(PALAPYE): To ask the Minister of Health to (59) state: (i) when Palapye Hospital was first included in the National Development Plan (NDP); (ii) how many times the funding of that hospital was postponed or not included in the Mid-Term Review of the NDP; (iii) the catchment area of Palapye Hospital per constituency; (iv) the total population of Palapye catchment area; (v) the furthest ward and distance to Palapye; and 4 (vi) the total number of beds at Palapye Hospital and further state if it is capable of serving the population; if not, why are people’s lives put at risk and when the Palapye Hospital project will be included in the Mid-Term Review of the NDP; (vii) the capacity of the maternity ward and if it is capable to serve the catchment area; if not, what the Minister is intending to do and to provide the timelines; and (viii) why there is no emergency exit at the Psychiatric Unit, and if he will consider installing such.
12.

MR. T. MANGWEGAPE-HEALY, MP.
(GABORONE CENTRAL): To ask the (62) Minister of Defence and Security: (i) targeting Botswana's to elucidate on the escalating theft and vandalism (including statistics) Critical Infrastructures such as Botswana Telecommunications Corporation Limited (BTCL), Botswana Power Corporation (BPC), Botswana Railways (BR), Mascom Wireless and Orange Botswana pertaining to copper cable infrastructure and telecommunications is critical for bringing utility services to the nation; infrastructure that National (ii) whether these escalating incidents of theft and vandalism have not reached levels to be classified as national security threats to Botswana's National Critical Infrastructures; and (iii) if Government will consider establishing a special unit that could primarily focus on the security risks posed to Botswana's National Critical Infrastructures either as a start for short term and also as a long term solution for concerted effort critical infrastructure, similar to what was done for the Diamond industry.
in maintaining security of these TABLING OF PAPERS 1.

Competition and Consumer Authority Annual Report 2020/2021.

(Minister of Trade and Industry) 2.

Gambling Authority Annual Integrated Report 2022.

(Minister of Trade and Industry) 3.

SEZA Annual Report 2021/2022.


(Minister of Trade and Industry) 5 NOTICE OF MOTIONS AND ORDERS OF THE DAY MOTION HRS/MINS 1445 −1900 RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH  “We, the National Assembly of Botswana here assembled, respond to the President’s speech.” (Leader of the House) (Resumed Debate) 6