Two MPs Pledge A Week's Allowance To Debaters

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Monday September 20, 2010 00:00

Speaking at a dinner held to raise funds for the championships in Gaborone over the weekend, Lesang Magang said Botswana Congress Party (BCP) leader and MP for Gaborone Central Dumelang Saleshando and assistant minister of presidential affairs Mokgweetsi Masisi pledged to pay a week's amount of their parliamentary sitting allowance. Magang said this is a commendable effort by the politicians who have also promised to persuade their fellow legislators to come to help the organisers of the debate championship raise funds that will 'see Botswana host a successful debate tournament,' he said.

Magang also said the championship will present a great opportunity for Botswana to show the world the great things she can offer, especially in the field of tourism and other sectors. He said the country will realize more than P10 Million in profits as the 1 300 participants from across the world will utilize services in telecommunications, transport, tourism, hotel industry and others.

At a recent stakeholders briefing, the organizers of the tournament said they have managed to get some assistance from some government departments whilst some corporate sector players have pledged to help.

Lawrence Ookeditse, of the Local organising committee, said they were able to 'secure 10 buses' from the Central Transport Organisation (CTO).

CTO has promised to avail the buses to facilitate ground transport for the duration of the tournament, Ookeditse revealed. Meanwhile, the British Council has also sponsored the local organising committee's training to prepare them to run an effective and successful tournament.

'This is good in the sense that most of us are not professional event organisers and the training is quite helpful,' he said.

The WUDC, according to a document by the local organisers, is the largest non-sporting event in the world, with an extensive global reach.

Botswana was awarded the right to host the WUDC by the World Debating Council in Cork, Ireland, in January 2009.  The World Debating Council requires the host to showcase the country's culture at this international forum. The University of Botswana has assured the organising committee full support for the venture.

'This support has manifested into agreements to provide transportation, classrooms, audio visual equipments and venues for debate,' reads part of the statement, further revealing that some participating countries coming to Botswana include England, United States of America, South Korea, China, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia and Qatar.

Botswana will become the second country on the continent, after South Africa, to host the event.