Francistown cllrs accuse BMC of �cheating� farmers
Keikantse Lesemela | Tuesday September 2, 2014 11:55
Last Thursday, after the BMC chief executive, Akolang Tombale addressed the Francistown City Council on progress since he took over, councillors took turns attacking the corporation, which had been for a while engulfed in scandals.
The stage was set during the last session of the weeklong council meeting by Ikageleng ward councillor, Tabengwa Tabengwa, who criticised BMC for ‘cheating’ Batswana.
The councillors took turns expressing concern with the low prices paid to farmers by the BMC.
Tombale’s pleas for farmers to start selling their livestock to BMC fell on deaf ears. Tabengwa told Tombale that BMC bought cattle from Batswana cheaply and thereafter sold the meat and other products to Europe at a huge profit.
“There is no business without profit. Cattle rearing is also a business, hence BMC should cooperate with local farmers,” said Tabengwa.
Tati Town councillor Stanley Masalila said that local butchers were more favourable to local farmers than BMC when it came to buying cattle locally. He dismissed Tombale’s statement that BMC prices were good for local farmers.
Masalila said, instead it was BMC, which was making gains at the expense of local farmers. He told Tombale that citizens were being cheated and if this continued, they would turn their backs against BMC.
Masalila encouraged BMC to always hold meetings with Farmers Associations as he said they were the people who understood cattle better, and therefore could help with practical ideas.
Councillor Johnson Moremi of Moselewapula Ward also expressed unhappiness with BMC, also saying butcheries paid cattle owners better than BMC.
Moremi said because it is a monopoly, BMC was still going to receive fewer cattle from Batswana if they cannot improve their prices.
“BMC also lacks citizen empowerment. Right now all the trucks that transport meat from Botswana to South Africa have foreign number plates. Why can’t they empower Batswana by awarding them those tenders because there are many Batswana who are unemployed?” Moremi questioned.
In response, Tombale said it was a myth that butcheries paid better prices compared to BMC. He explained that cattle were graded before being bought and that BMC paid for everything.
Tombale encouraged farmers to reduce sorghum feeding on cattle. He said that their best buyers in Europe preferred young cattle because of their soft and tender meat.
Meanwhile, councillors praised the outgoing Mayor, James Kgalajwe saying that though his council failed in other areas, he deserved to be applauded for his indomitable spirit.
They said that during the council’s five-year tenure, they went through many challenges, which led to them failing to meet the needs of their constituents.
Example given by the elated councillors included the ongoing upgrading of the Francistown-Tonota Road, the recently held Francistown Investment Forum, Mayor’s Charity Fund, waste management and many more.