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Botswana: There Should Be 'One President'- Masimolole
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Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
18 March 2008
Posted to the web 18 March 2008
Lekopanye Mooketsi
If the MP for Mogoditshane, Patrick Masimolole could have things his way there would only one 'president' in Botswana.
He feels that currently just about everybody is called president and this is confusing. He has proposed that officials who lead societies should not be called president but chairpersons like it was done in Malawi during the late Dr Hastings Banda's era. Banda had banned the use of the word president for organisations because there was only one president in the country.
Masimolole said when the officials are referred to as presidents, they think they are too powerful and become big headed, citing the example of the Botswana Football Association (BFA).
The MP was discussing the budget proposals for the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture in parliament this week.
Masimolole did not take it lightly that a BFA official told parliamentarians to leave the organisation alone last year.
Masimolole castigated the BFA, saying they cannot run football the way they like. He said MPs are entitled to know what is happening in football because the government is pumping a lot of money into the sport. Masimolole said the BFA officials have to account for public funds.
He said the BFA officials were out of order when they accused the Minister of Sports, Youth and Culture, Moeng Pheto of interfering in their affairs. The BFA made these accusations last year after Pheto revealed the salaries of national team coaches to parliament.
Masimolole, who is a former BFA official, said there was no need to hire a new coach for the senior national team. He said the coach who was doing the job should have continued to coach the Zebras.
But he bemoaned the departure of the former Under 23 football coach, David Bright to South Africa. He said Bright was under paid while an expatriate was earning a high salary. He wondered whether Bright was under paid because he is a Motswana.
Masimolole applauded the national sports teams for doing well. He said they have been putting the country on the map.
The legislator wondered why the government could not build a new stadium with the P52 million that it is going to use to refurbish the National Stadium. He argued that that type of money is sufficient to put up a new stadium in Mogoditshane or Tlokweng.
He said government wasted money to build a stadium in Serowe even though it was found that the soil at the site was not suitable.
Masimolole wanted to know what the minister responsible was doing about the unstable situation at the Botswana National Youth Council (BNYC). He said it seems things are not going well at the council.
Masimolole called for the building of a library at Mogoditshane. "We need a library especially that there is going to be a senior secondary school," he said. He expressed concern that the statues that have been erected at public places are not looked after.
The leader of opposition and MP for Gaborone West North, Otsweletse Moupo has called for the preservation of the Setswana language. Discussing the budget proposals for the Ministry of Sports, Youth and Culture, Moupo lamented that Setswana is being undermined and people are no longer interested in speaking the language.
He said even at social functions you will find a group of Batswana conversing in English when they are together.
He added that even at the University of Botswana (UB), Setswana is being taught in English.
"We should encourage the use of Setswana," the opposition leader appealed.
He also called for the promotion of other indigenous languages.
Moupo also lamented the lack of a reading culture in the country. He said public libraries must encourage people to read.
Moupo said publications covering the country's history should also be filed in public libraries. He said social scientists should do their research by interviewing old people who are conversant with the country's history. He called on Btv and Radio Botswana to conduct similar programmes.
The MP for Shoshong, Duke Lefhoko also took a swipe at the BFA for insisting that MPs should leave the association.
He said if parliament can summon a minister to account what about an association like the BFA.
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"I think the BFA owes us a briefing. They should tell us clearly which areas we are not supposed to go in. We shall continue to demand answers."
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