Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697656872805.pdf (Botswana)
BOTSWANA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY O R D E R P A P E R (WEDNESDAY 15TH FEBRUARY, 2023) QUESTIONS HRS/MINS 1400 – 1445 1.

MR. T. MANGWEGAPE-HEALY, MP.

(GABORONE CENTRAL): To ask the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs: (189) (i) to state the number of retrenchment requests issued to the Commissioner; (ii) how many people have been retrenched since 2019; and (iii) to give an update on the merger of parastatals and expected number of job losses.

2.

MR. G. KEKGONEGILE, MP.


(MAUN EAST): To ask the Minister of Transport and Public Works to brief this Honourable House on the influence of climate change in architectural design of both public and private housing given extreme weathers (both high and low) depending on geographical area, and in particular: (193) 3.
(i) if the Ministry intends to table a new policy or review the current policy to accommodate high and low temperature experiences in housing designs; (ii) what features the Ministry intends to include in the new designs; and (iii) whether the initiative includes provision of air conditioners in public servants’ housing especially in extremely hot areas such as Kgalagadi, Ghanzi and North West.

MR. J. L. THIITE, MP.
(GHANZI NORTH): To ask the Minister of Entrepreneurship to apprise this Honourable House on progress regarding the promises made on the 3rd February, 2020 Budget Speech to transform the beef and cattle sector by converting Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) into a company under the (Transition) Bill and Companies Act, tabling of the BMC Establishment of the Meat Regulator: the Minister to further state; (i) whether the delay of implementation of these initiatives is not a major setback to farmers and Botswana’s aspirations of being a food sufficient nation and export led economy; (175) 1 (ii) if it is not prudent to extend the live export dispensation indefinitely; (iii) the revenue accrued through live export; (iv) the comparison of post and pre-live export revenue and to explain the effect of this dispensation, if any, on the BMC prices recently; (v) the names of three (3) private abattoirs that have recently been awarded permits to export beef; (vi) the economic benefits of such grants of export permits to the above three (3) private abattoirs on the local beef market especially in the overall national beef prices; (vii) whether such benefits are trickling down to the primary beef producers (farmers) especially those in communal areas; and (viii) what legal framework was the granting of the export permits to the three (3) abattoirs based on.
4.

MR. P. MAJAGA, MP.
(NATA-GWETA): To ask the Minister of Lands and Water Affairs to state: (197) (i) if he is aware that the implementation of the new land transfers of tribal land has commenced without proper consultation with other stakeholders such as Botswana Unified Revenue Services (BURS) and that: (a) applicants are being tossed between the land boards and BURS; (b) landboards are refusing to receive applications without the input of BURS; land transfer (c) Batswana incur costs trying to get services from land authorities yet they do not get value for their money; if so, (ii) why landboards are not allowed to receive land transfer applications without the input from BURS; and (iii) what forced the Ministry to implement the new land transfer process instead of continuing with the old process until proper consultation had been done with other relevant Government Departments.
5.

MR. O. REGOENG, MP.

(MOLEPOLOLE NORTH): To ask the Minister of Agriculture to brief this Honourable House on: (198) (i) the degree to which the imposition of restriction on importation of vegetables has to date influenced the country’s balance of trade; 2 (ii) whether there is any immediate plan to add other food products in the basket of already restricted commodities; and (iii) how significant the restriction has impacted on the food import bill.

6.

MR. M. BALOPI, MP.


(GABORONE NORTH): To ask the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that efforts to achieve food self- sufficiency are currently frustrated by inadequate access to land for capable and willing Batswana and: (199) 7.

8.

9.
8.

9.

(i) what his Ministry is currently doing to work collaboratively with Batswana with the intention of improving local food production especially in view of the import ban imposed on some farm products; and (ii) whether his Ministry and the Ministry of Lands and Water Affairs work collaboratively to fast-track services such as change of land ownership and land use in order to improve prospects of land being used productively in the shortest possible time.

MR. K. NKAWANA, MP.
MR. K. NKAWANA, MP.

(SELEBI PHIKWE EAST): To ask the Minister of Minerals and Energy if he will consider, wherever possible, allocating head lease and/or extraction licenses for riversand and pit sand to local communities.

DR. T. MATSHEKA, MP.

(LOBATSE): To ask the Minister of Education and Skills Development to update this Honourable House on the review of the current loan\grant scheme and encourage private sector participation.

MR. K. K. KAPINGA, MP.
(OKAVANGO): To ask the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development to disclose to this Honourable House the cause of the logjam in the appointment of Headmen and Dikgosana in the Okavango Constituency, especially the Headman of Records in Shakawe; and further confirm the following: (i) (ii) (iii) that people appointed to such positions should be those popularly sought by the tribesmen and not imposed individuals; that elections are a headmen where the seat is not hereditary; and legitimate process for choosing that affiliation with the ruling party or any other political party is not a requirement nor a ground for disqualification of a candidate.
(200) (201) (202) 3 10.

MR. B. MATHOOTHE, MP.


(SEROWE NORTH): To ask the Minister of (203) Environment and Tourism to state: (i) if she has any intention of amending the law pertaining to compensation of malicious damage caused by wildlife in commercial and subsistence farms; (ii) why compensation rates are solely based on the damage caused to property by lions and elephants and not other animals; and (iii) why the compensation rates are not consistent to damage caused to property for commercial and subsistence farmers.

11.
11.

MR. L. LESEDI, MP.
(SEROWE SOUTH): To ask the Minister of (204) Environment and Tourism: (i) what has caused rhino poaching to spiral out of control in the last four (4) years; (ii) to avail statistics and the number of rhinos that have been poached and those that died from natural causes since April 2018; (iii) why some rhinos were allegedly moved to Ghanzi, how many were moved and how many died due to mishandling during the relocation; (iv) how many rhinos were recently killed at Khama Rhino Sanctuary and how poachers managed to gain access to the Sanctuary as it is a highly protected area; and further state (v) how many endangered white backed vultures have been reported dead in Botswana in the last two (2) years; and (vi) interventions if any, being carried out to control poaching and possible extinction of endangered species.
QUESTION WITHOUT NOTICE 12.

MR. M. I. MOSWAANE, MP.
(FRANCISTOWN WEST): To ask the Minister (207) of Health if he is aware; (i) of shortage of Diabetes medication especially insulin in Government hospitals across the country more especially at Nyangabwe Referral Hospital which caters for the greater Francistown area; (ii) that Diabetes and Hypertension patients are dying in large numbers due to lack of medication; 4 (iii) that Cancer patients are dying due to lack of treatment; and (iv) that Low Blood Pressure patients are dying due to lack of medication; whether the Minister deliberately misled the public when he announced that shortage of medication will be a thing of the past as per his press brief on Botswana Television (BTV) and other media outlets.
NOTICE OF MOTIONS AND ORDERS OF THE DAY HRS/MINS SECOND READING 1445 - 1800  Appropriation (2023/2024) Bill, 2023 (Bill No.

4 of 2023) An Act to authorise the payment out of the Consolidated Fund and the Development Fund of sums of money for the year ending 31st March, 2024.

(Published on 25th January, 2023) (Minister of Finance) (Resumed Debate) 5