Masisi is a ‘Print more money President’ – Saleshando
Slams Govt. for flunking UK’s campaign against huntin
The President of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP), Dumelang Saleshando has blamed government for the mess behind the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill saga that is ongoing between the UK government and Botswana.
Saleshando said government does not have a principled position on hunting. He said that the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) policy position was against hunting, yet recently they changed and now hunting is good in their eyes. Saleshando said that the lack of a principled position shows that there is a problem which has been caused by the BDP. The Maun West MP further calls out the BDP government for not seeking a consensus of the issue with all Members of Parliament from the affected areas. To add salt to injury, Saleshando said that there are people from communities living around wildlife areas who are neglected by the government and denied water as they are classified as un-gazetted communities. The responsibility of provision of water has been left to Trusts that drill and maintain boreholes.
He said the communities do not have access to medical facilities and for them to go to hospitals they have to get a vehicle from a community Trust. Some learners have to drive for three hours to access education, he said.
Saleshando’s view is that sealing the lips of community leaders does not solve the problem. He said they will be engaging these communities so that their stories will reach international embassies so that the international community may understand the burden they face. The BCP leader also said that the world must understand the reality in Botswana as told by communities about the effects of a hunting importation ban, adding that there is need for evidence-based research policy, which the BCP will undertake to delve in-depth into the matters. He is also concerned about the way the government spends money during an election year. He criticised President Mokgweetsi Masisi for receiving constituency allowances even though he is the first citizen. What disappoints him the most, is that senior civil servants will get overtime even though their salaries are made in such a way to accommodate overtime. He said that it does not make sense for
government to ignore lower scale people that really need the money and give more money to upper class people.
“We have a problem of a print-more-moneypresident,” Saleshando said, adding that even though the Chema Chema Fund has not picked up yet, it has already been given a boost because President Masisi came to parliament unexpectedly and changed its budget. He also revealed that the BCP has 55 fully compliant constituencies ready for the election season and they are having a presidential candidate launch on the 13th of April in Gaborone. The party decided this because Batswana want a direct election into the presidency. He urged Batswana to know who they want for the presidency as whoever is at the helm of the country makes decisions in their place.