Africa-Press – Botswana. The Botswana Police Service needs to set up a special, missing people’s unit to handle cases of people reported missing without a trace.
The suggestion was made by the Palapye MP Mr Onneetse Ramogapi during his contribution to the State-Of-Nation Address on November 22.
Mr Ramogapi said a special unit would be worthwhile looking at the rising trend of missing persons across the country.
“The situation is dire in Molepolole where people go missing almost every week. This special unit should also be assigned skilled investigators. We should set up this unit in the same mould as the anti-stocktheft unit,” he said.
Mr Ramogapi also called for an unemployment benefit to economically assist non-employed citizens. “This will help give people a decent life. Considerations should also be made to compel companies to pay their employees wages commensurate to their annual turnover. This will prevent situations where companies make profit in the millions, yet pay their employees paltry salaries” he said.
To further enhance the decency of employees’ lives, Mr Ramogapi suggested that government should consider abolishing the A salary scale, which he said was too low.
He also pleased for the protection of employees against companies that had the tendency of retrenching willy-nilly.
On other issues, Mr Ramogapi requested government to address what he termed a dire situation at the Palapye primary hospital.
He said despite the hospital having a large catchment area, it often lacked basic things such as blankets and hot water among other things.
He also said because of the congestion, patients were often forced to start queuing in the wee hours, only to get assistance late at night.
Meanwhile the Member of Parliament for Mochudi West, Mr Mmusi Kgafela urged legislators to often guard their tongues in their debates in Parliament, a practice he said was a hallmark of a good leader.
He said even though they may have immunity from prosecution while in Parliament, there was always that possibility of suffering the consequences post their legislative terms.
On other issues, Mr Kgafela applauded government for prioritising infrastructural projects, especially roads in development plans. He pleaded for tarring, or at least maintenance of the Dikgonnye road.
Mr Kgafela also welcomed the decision by the Botswana Housing Corporation to construct 200 units in Rasesa.
“These units, despite not being attached to the planned relocation of the Deborah Retief Hospital, would go a long way in addressing staff accommodation,” he said.
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