In Wednesday's Parliamentary questions

Staff Writer | Thursday February 12, 2015 12:22

 

Question: Noah Salakae (Ghanzi North)

Asked the Minister of Agriculture to state countries in the world other than Botswana which have a ban on live cattle exports and any state-owned abattoir that is enjoying the monopoly of beef export.

Response: Countries from time to time act according to their own peculiar situations to impose a ban on export of slaughter cattle. In Botswana we also have our own peculiar situation, which we are managing as we do avert the country from becoming a grazing ground for livestock based industries elsewhere. We have access to lucrative international markets of beef and therefore export of slaughter will be tantamount to exporting jobs, since there is more than adequate slaughter capacity at our abattoirs.

Internationally live cattle post export is mainly practiced for breeding purposes where there is need to improve the genetic quality of the local cattle herd. In the country this has always been the case. Exports of live cattle are also allowed in cases of social ceremonies like Bogadi.

However there are exceptional circumstances when we have allowed export of live cattle such as the ongoing export of slaughter cattle to Zimbabwe from the North West District and the approval that was granted in 2012 to all areas to export slaughter cattle to avert the drought situation that was looming.

With regard to the monopoly of beef export, the Botswana Meat Commission Act that established the BMC abattoirs, grants monopoly to the BMC to export cattle or edible products from cattle to international markets. It is our Act that is guiding us and it is not premised on any other state.

 

Question: Tawana Moremi (Maun West)

Asked the Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism what programmes are in place to facilitate the training of mokoro polers towards certification.

Response: Mokoro polling requires a specialist license that is exclusive to Batswana. Currently eligible candidates do not undergo formal training, but are given a test to certify and formalise their indigenous knowledge. This is undertaken by the Botswana Wildlife Training Institute in Maun.

However a new Botswana National Qualifications Framework is being developed by the Ministry of Education and Skills Development to certify tourism guides including mokoro polers. When the new system is implemented, mokoro polers will have to demonstrate competence on a range of selected modules. The Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism are currently awaiting the release of the Qualifications Framework. Once the framework is completed, registered institutions will conduct the training and assessment.

 

Question: Tawana Moremi (Maun West)

Asked the Minister of Education and Skills Development why transfers are frozen in the primary and secondary school teaching cadre and why there are delays in processing payments for temporary teachers.

Response: It is not true that transfers for Primary and Secondary School Teaching cadre have been frozen. The Ministry continues to effect the transfers at both Primary and Secondary Schools whenever there is a need. The Ministry transferred more than 500 teachers between December 2014 and January 2015.

It is true that the Ministry has delayed to pay temporary teachers’ salaries for the month of January 2015. This was mainly due to the non-availability and continuous interruption of the payment system. Interruption in the system contributed because payments for temporary employees are processed such that they are effected on the last day of each month. This interruption did not only affect the Ministry of Education only but it affected all the ministries.