Khama�s gifts official � Makgalemele
Innocent Selatlhwa | Tuesday February 16, 2016 10:58
Makgalemele was responding to Selebi Phikwe West Member of Parliament, Dithapelo Keorapetse, who had wanted to know whether the President gives these items as official gifts from the OP or in his personal capacity.
Keorapetse had also asked about the source of funds for purchasing the blankets, chairs, bibles, torches, soup, scones and paraphernalia that the President gives to elderly Batswana and Dikgosi when he visits their villages.
Makgalemele said the funds are from the benevolence of philanthropists, good-hearted Batswana and other people from elsewhere.
Keorapetse also wanted to know whether the items are transported to their points of distribution using government or council vehicles under which they fall.
To this Makgalemele said, “As part of His Excellency the President’s entitlement to use of official transport, the items form part of items he carries when he visits the said villages, it is therefore not possible to separate costs for the items being distributed”.
Quizzed on what motivated the question, Keorapetse said, “We need to know which companies are giving the President these gifts and why. There is suspicion that companies, which are eagerly funding these things are beneficiaries of the establishment”.
He also said there is need to know why these companies are not giving these gifts to charity organisations and that they suspect it is costly to transport these gifts along with the President.