BOTSWANA: Old age Pensions Must Go to Deserving People

GABORONE, Republic of Botswana (DailyNews),December 16, 2005: PARLIAMENT - If Mmadinare MP Ponatshego Kedikilwe had his way, qualification for old age pension would be based on ones economic status. Debating the local government chapter of the draft mid-term review of National Development Plan (NDP) 9, Kedikilwe said the allowance is unnecessarily given to undeserving citizens. He said the threshold that if one reached a certain age qualified for old age pension was anomalous and unsustainable. Kedikilwes concern with the system is that everyone qualifies despite his or her economic status because even former permanent secretaries, retired chief executive officers, former presidents and other people who have huge packages qualify for this allowance. A remedy for this irregularity would be to augment the allowance for those who solely depended on it for their livelihood. He warned Parliament that he was in the process of drafting a motion that, if passed, would effect an amendment to disqualify people with sound economical backgrounds from the allowance. Isaac Mabiletsa of Kgatleng East proposed that council chairpersons and mayors be appointed full-time council executive employees. Mabiletsa attributed stalled council projects to the fact that mayors and chairpersons were overwhelmed as they also had to attend to the development of their council wards. These people work too exhaustively in carrying out the mandate of the councils they lead and as such they should be elevated to an executive status directly elected by the people, he said. Their remuneration should also be reviewed. Kanye South MP Omphitlhetse Maswabi was worried that there was no tribal leader at Mmamokhasi, a ward created by the Delimitation Commission. During national celebrations, such as independence celebrations, problems arise because currently there are three claimants to bogosi of this ward, while officially no one has been appointed, he said. Pelonomi Venson of Serowe South prayed for construction of road networks in Serowe given all the goodies that come with access to a road. Councils also came under attack from South East South MP Lesego Motsumi for building big structures such as a block of flats that would then stay for years without electricity. Baledzi Gaolathe of Tonota North observed that local government came second after education in the share of government budget in the current financial year. He said the mammoth budget given to the local government ministry indicated its importance to the nation adding, if PMS and PBRS were efficiently implemented then we would be moving in the right direction. Botswana Press Agency