MPs warn Masisi against military spending

Francistown West MP Ignatius Moswaane of Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) President Duma Boko has warned the incoming President Mokgweetsi Masisi against overspending in military equipment. Moswaane told this publication that Botswana needs to invest in the education system which has deteriorated over the past years, instead of pumping millions in buying of military toys. He cited the recent purchase of the P18bn worth Swedish Gripens and the P326 million which is the subject of an ongoing money laundering case before the court of law.

Gaborone Bonnington North MP and UDC leader Boko also expressed similar sentiments at his party’s recent Francistown star rally, saying it was wrong to have large amounts of money used by the state to buy expensive military hardware such as Gripens when the education system is in shambles. He decried that primary and secondary school classrooms have a lot of potholes and no air conditioners to cool off students from the scotching heat. He said the teacher student ratio of one teacher to 60 students was disheartening and cannot produce the desired results. “We can improve the education system by equipping secondary students with laptops or desktops to help them become IT-savvy like in countries such as Kenya and others. In the past when I made such a proposal I was declared a crazy leader in parliament since those in power did not believe that it is viable due to their limited thinking capability,” he said.