Modubule tells cabinet ministers to resign

BAME PIET
Staff Writer | Friday February 12, 2010 00:00

 

Commenting on the budget speech yesterday, Modubule said that government has run out of ideas of job creation and is wasting money through constituency games initiated by President Ian Khama. “You are wasting resources of this nation. Tota le nnetse eng mo pusong.  You must all resign and go home,” charged Modubule. 

He said that instead of wasting money on all these games government should build Sports Academies where students can graduate with certificates. “Jaanong gatwe ba tlhole ba tshameka hela mo”.

Modubule added that he does not support the increase of Value Added Tax (VAT) and made it clear that Parliament has a right to refuse the increment because at the moment it is just a proposal.  He said the government has a tendency of telling lies to the public citing how President Ian Khama told the nation that so far Ipelegeng programme has benefited 327, 494 people whilst his Finance Minister, Kenneth Matambo says it has benefited 23, 462.  He said Ipelegeng is a short term desperate measure by government to address soaring unemployment.

Modubule said that he was shocked that public servants did not get a salary adjustment,  while the same government went to purchase a new and expensive Presidential jet and that the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) is splashing money at the same time, owing Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) P30 million. He said that he is totally opposed to privatsation of BTC, National Development Bank (NDB), Air Botswana and other state enterprises. He accused the government of doing nothing to help Botswana Railways get back on its feet. Meanwhile, MP for Kweneng South East Mmoloki Raletobana called on government to increase wages for people working in the Ipelegeng programme and said that they should be paid with cash instead of cheques. He also said government could be building sports facilities instead of just splashing funds in constituency games. He suggested that the newly introduced crime prevention strategies be conducted cautiously to avoid situations where the beneficiaries hold the nation to ransom after acquiring skills on security issues. Raletobana accused government of reversing its own initiative of decentralising power to local government by taking over clinics by Ministry of Health.  He said that the ministry has not been able to cope with its workload hence it would be unwise to add more burden to it. He advised that local government be provided with adequate resources.