Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697657411700.pdf (Botswana)
BOTSWANA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY O R D E R P A P E R (TUESDAY 15TH NOVEMBER, 2022) QUESTIONS HRS/MINS 1400 – 1445 1.

MR. T. LETSHOLO, MP.
(KANYE NORTH): To ask the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs to apprise this Honourable House on youth unemployment in Botswana and Government efforts towards reducing it; and further state: (1) (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) the effectiveness of the Internship Programme; the efficacy of an apprenticeship system in so far as it combines practical training in a job with study; how an apprenticeship system would complement both the educational and internship programmes in Botswana; the benefits that would accrue to individuals who get on the job training while studying and graduate market ready, with the required experience; and the socio-economic benefits that would accrue to Batswana if Government introduced a tax incentive for companies, organizations and businesses which contribute to national development through apprenticeships.
2.

MR. S. J. BROOKS, MP.

(KGALAGADI SOUTH): To ask the Minister of Education and Skills Development is aware of the unsatisfactory performance at Tapologo Junior Secondary School in Werda; he should further state: if he (2) (i) if he is happy with the performance at the school for the past five (5) years; if not, why and; (ii) whether there are any plans to address this.

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MR. D. TSHERE, MP.


(MAHALAPYE WEST): To ask the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs: (3) (i) if she is aware that the passport processing machine is still not functional at the Mahalapye District Office despite her assurances to Parliament in 2021 that the situation would return to normalcy within a reasonable timeframe; and further state (ii) when her Ministry is planning to remedy the situation.

4.

DR. N. TSHABANG, MP.


(NKANGE): To ask the Minister of Health to update this Honourable House on the upgrading of the Tutume Primary Hospital; and further state: (4) (i) the commencement date of the construction of the new hospital; and (ii) what is causing the delays.

5.

MR. D. L. KEORAPETSE, MP.


(SELEBI PHIKWE WEST): To ask the Minister of Transport and Public Works to update this Honourable House on the envisaged construction of the Mogoditshane-Gabane- Mmankgodi junction road to a dual carriageway (standard tender no.
WOR 7/17/9/ (I)) and in particular to state and explain: (5) (i) (ii) (iii) causes and effects of the delay in the commencement of the project; how much the Ministry of Finance had approved as the budget for execution of this project; that given the delay in carrying out the project since the procurement process started in February 2019, what has been the construction costs escalation between February 2019 and July 2022; the Minister should further state the price of bitumen per tonne in 2019 and currently; (iv) whether there is contemplation of cancellation of the tender and whether it is not more cost effective to proceed with the contract and executing the project rather than cancelling the project and re-tendering, given the increasing rate of escalation of prices for construction materials; and (v) how long it will take to re-design the project, prepare tender documents and ultimately make an award, if the tender is cancelled and a re-tender issued.
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MR. T. MANGWEGAPE-HEALY, MP.

(GABORONE CENTRAL): To ask the Minister of Communications, Knowledge and Technology to elucidate: (6) 7.

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(i) (ii) impact the escalating incidents of theft and what vandalism of copper cables have on Botswana's National objective of digital transformation and Maitlamo (Botswana’s National ICT Policy); and on the impact of these escalating incidents of theft and vandalism on consumers and service providers in relation to the regulator approved service standards and key performance indicators.

MR. D. SALESHANDO, MP.


(MAUN WEST): To ask the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs to state when Botswana will introduce a broad- based compulsory occupational pension for all workers.

DR. K. GOBOTSWANG, MP.
(SEFHARE-RAMOKGONAMI): To ask the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development to update this Honourable House on the quality of primary school lunch menu as part of the school feeding programme; the Minister should further state: (i) (ii) if there are variations in respect to the quality of lunch menu between rural and urban schools; how often meat is served in the primary school menu in a week; (iii) what plans are in place to improve the quality of school lunch in primary schools to ensure good nutrition and improved school performance; and (iv) whether he will consider introducing a fully home grown school feeding programme by procuring locally produced dry food products such as beans, cowpeas and groundnuts.
(7) (8) 9.

MR. C. GREEFF, MP.
(GABORONE BONNINGTON SOUTH): To ask the Minister of Health to apprise this Honourable House on the value and class/type of medicines or phamacetical and non- pharmaceutical products that expired at Central Medical Stores (CMS) or at Ministry of Health facilities in the past ten (10) years; and further state: (9) 3 (i) (ii) the reasons why the products expired; if the expiry of the products contributed to the shortage of medicines in the country; (iii) whether the Ministry has any system that tracks commodity usage; (iv) if these expiries fall within the accepted expiry level set by the Ministry, if not, what he is doing to address this challenge.
10.

MR. O. RAMOGAPI, MP.
(PALAPYE): To ask the Minister of Education and Skills Development to apprise this Honourable House on the total number of temporary teachers and Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) officers in Botswana, and further state: (10) (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) the total amount of severance benefits owed per sub region and what causes delays in paying them; the reason why temporary teachers and SHE officers are paid their monthly salaries late; if he is aware that the Employment Act states that the employee should not be paid later than the third of every month, if so, what is he doing to remedy the situation; and if the delayed payment of severance benefits would be paid with interest, taking into consideration the erosion of purchasing power.
11.

MR. G. KEKGONEGILE, MP.
(MAUN EAST): To ask the Minister of Transport and Public Works to brief this Honourable House on the progress regarding payment of compensation to the Disana Community relocated to give way to expansion of the Maun Airport and further state the: (11) (i) (ii) number of people who were supposed to be compensated and those fully compensated; number of years the compensation has been on the discussion table and the number of Ministers the Disana compensation issue has gone through; (iii) number of beneficiaries who have submitted all the required documentation and those who have not; (iv) kind of documents needed for payment; 4 (v) reasons for the delayed payments, the amount budgeted for the exercise and if funds are available to undertake the exercise; and (vi) targeted payment deadline agreed upon by the Ministry.
12.

MR. T. B. LUCAS, MP.

(BOBONONG): To ask the Minister of Local (12) Government and Rural Development to state: (i) (ii) (iii) the last time Ipelegeng wages were increased; why Ipelegeng wages have not been adjusted this year in view of the rising inflation and the colossal increase in the cost of living; and if his Ministry has any plans to adjust Ipelegeng wages to respond to the rise in inflation and the increase in the cost of living.

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