Modubule urges citizen economic empowerment law

GOTHATAONE MOENG
Staff Writer | Wednesday August 1, 2012 00:00

 

Modubule emphasised that a law would be more effective than a policy, in ensuring that indigenous Batswana are economically empowered. 'Policies are not helping the situation; why don't we have a law? This will allow that steps be taken against people who do not abide by it,' he said yesterday in Parliament during his debate of the adoption of the Citizen Economic Empowerment (CEE) Policy presented by Minister Kenneth Matambo.

Modubule also slammed the Ministry of Lands and Housing (MLH), which he said had failed Batswana in providing them with land. He noted that land ownership is integral to the empowerment of citizens.

He said the failure of MLH to timely provide Batswana with land leads to squatting. The Lobatse MP also criticised government for not taking the informal sector seriously.'The informal sector is not taken seriously. Young people used to empower themselves by opening car washes, but those have been closed.  People used to empower themselves by selling Chibuku, but that has been closed. What 'empowerment' are we talking about?' he fumed.

For his part, MP for Gaborone West South Botsalo Ntuane said government should ask mining companies who get licences to operate in Botswana to also provide a beneficiation plan.He also said Batswana need to combat the 'PHD'(Pull Him/Her Down) problem, that suggests that every successful and rich Motswana is corrupt. 'We need to celebrate the successes of indigenous Batswana,' he said.  The CEE policy seeks to promote effective participation of Batswana in the economic growth and development of the country, maximise potential human capital residing in Botswana.

The policy is also aimed at development of skills and knowledge, in order for citizens to be able to realise their full potential, build capacity for the private sector to grow businesses and to cultivate an entrepreneurial culture in Batswana. In the policy, Matambo outlines the indicators of empowerment as, among others, ownership of land and property, ownership of businesses, reduction in employment rates and citizen shareholding on the Botswana Stock Exchange