During the minister's question time at parliament on Friday, Rammidi said, "Does the minister think this students will graduate? Sale o tsena wa palelwa. O palestwe ke ma Seven, Ma Form Three gotlhe le ma Form Five? (Under you, examinations results for both primary school leavers, Junior Certificate and high school have been poor) Do you think these students will become reputable doctors like health minister, Dr John Seakgosing here?" he said.On the other hand, Venson-Moitoi who did not want to take the attack lying down, retorted and told Rammidi that the results could have been better if "teachers were not taken from the classrooms and lured to sing derogatory songs under trees by some politicians who also slaughtered cows for the teachers to eat," she said.
This was an apparent reference to Rammidi, whom it was said during the public servants strike last year, donated cows to be eaten in Kanye where the strikers had gathered.When the MP of Kgatleng, Gilbert Mangole ventured in and asked the minister if she thinks the medical students who are learning from a warehouse will graduate as reputable doctors. Venson-Moitoi reminded Mangole that "most of us here attended school under trees. Re baletse A ka tase ga setlhare. But don't worry, the medical school building at UB is complete," she said.The minister said the school of medicine building is ready for occupation. Responding to questions from Gaborone Central MP, Dumelang Saleshando who wanted to know why University of Botswana School of Medicine students are studying at Kgogolamoko Warehouse, which does not even have laboratories, the minister said the problem would be solved soon as the School Of Medicine building at the UB main campus is ready for occupation. "We have even received a certificate of occupation and even have the keys to the building. The students can get in and start learning from there because the classrooms are ready. We are just waiting for furniture only," she said.- There have been a lot of complaints, which have seen medical students boycotting classes and petitioning the UB management. Some of these problems include lack of teaching staff and equipment, the stoppage of clinical placement and others. Venson-Moitoi told parliament that her ministry admits that it is difficult to get lecturers to teach at the SOM, but told MPs that there is a robust recruitment drive to get qualified lecturers for the medical school. When Saleshando put it to her that the university is failing to retain staff and that already 20 have left, whilst five are on their way out, the minister said "yea, they will go, a kere madi ga ayo (We don't have a lot of money to pay them)," she said. She also added that her ministry is working with other countries, which have partnerships with Botswana in health and education to see if they cannot help provide lecturers who can come and teach at the UB medical school.
