Government must create meaningful jobs
Mmegi Editor | Wednesday December 7, 2016 11:58
Khama also mentioned that in 2017 his government would rollout yet another programme, which would embrace every constituency in the country in the form of community projects. This he said would increase the delivery of infrastructure at local level, while providing further income-generating activities and employment opportunities.
In his address the President failed to inform the nation that the much-praised ‘historic landmark announcement’ that was conceived last year at a Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) special congress, ESP, has failed to create any meaningful and sustainable jobs. The ESP has only managed to create ‘piece jobs’ for the desperate and suffering masses of youth living under poverty.
How much do the employees of ESP projects get paid? It is not mentioned because of the current desperation, and employees’ wages are very low. It is a case of take it or leave it. We are a desperate nation offering lipservice to our own people.
Our economic sectors like mining continue to shed thousands of people to send them straight to the unemployment line.
Retrenchments done under the guise of restructuring are the order of the day. Batswana are living in desperate times and Khama failed to reassure the nation when things are falling apart. Although we are far from being a failed country, we are increasingly heading in that direction. The much vouched for ESP is political a ploy to attract unsophisticated young people who cannot read between lines what viable employment and ‘piece jobs’ are.
Khama yet again failed to tell the desperate nation that only a few BDP activists are beneficiary of ESP tenders. The rest of the people should watch gleefully when the few connected compatriots ‘eat’ the fruits of ESP. It is traumatising since people were told, “Go and form companies and benefit. Opposition members should take advantage of this and also benefit. The BDP is an equal opportunity party”. What a joke! What the people are not told is what the future holds for the thousands of the former employees of BCL Mine and its subsidiaries. We are not told what the future holds for the retrenched employees of Mowana, Karowe and other mines. Are these poor souls all expected to join the Ipelegeng programme? Instead of relying too much on minerals, the country should expedite diversification of economy as matter of urgency.
Today’s thought
“An acceptable level of unemployment means that the government economist to whom it is acceptable still has a job.”
- Unknown