BNF man slams neglect of agriculture

STATES MODIBATI
Correspondent | Wednesday March 23, 2011 00:00

He said that diamonds are not for ever, therefore it is imperative for the BDP to shift focus by starting irrigation farming in earnest to curb food shortages. Speaking at a political rally in Block 3 in Gaborone on Sunday, Bantsi said that to curb unemployment, the government should build food-processing factories to absorb the jobless. He encouraged workers to join trade unions that will advocate for better working conditions and attractive remuneration for them.

Shakes Mapitse, a BNF youth league member said Batswana should know that Princess Marina Hospital is a slaughter-house as demonstrated by the fact that ailing Vice-President Mompati Merafhe was flown to South Africa for treatment. He urged the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) leadership to take action against a certain councillor who he said has the tendency of attacking BNF on opposition cooperation talks. A former BNF councillor, Tonic Bonang lamented that Batswana are not fair during elections and that is why they vote for an ailing party like the BDP. 'If BNF can be voted into power, education would be of high standards to produce productive and qualified graduates like doctors in hospitals countrywide and senior BDP stalwarts will see no need to cross the border to South Africa for better medical attention,' he said.

He added that some government employees choose to vote for BDP though they know that in the past, the government refused to accede to their requests for a salary increment.  And now after the elections, they are reaping the fruits of voting for BDP as the government maintained that there will be no salary adjustment in the foreseeable future.