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(TALKZIMBABWE) Botswana politicians want Mugabe-style leadership in mining

Botswana politicians want Mugabe-style leadership in mining
By: Botswana Gazette-TZG
Posted: Wednesday, March 2, 2011 10:24 am

BOTSWANA is not benefitting from its huge mineral resources and would prefer to have a leadership style like that of President Mugabe to ensure that its people have access to those resources, says leading politicians in that country.

Councilor for Monarch South Ignatius Moswaane said he would prefer President Mugabe's leadership style when it comes to dealing with mining industry investors. He said such a leader would ensure that Botswana benefit more from the mining industry.

Most Francistown Councilors believe that lack of competent negotiators has led to the country losing out in the mining sector.

They said such negotiators could engage mine owners around Francistown and push for more government shares in the mines.

When responding to a presentation by a Research Fellow from Botswana Institute of Development Policy Analysis (BIDPA) Dr Margret Sengwatsi, most of the councilors criticized the government for failing to maintain the mines that surround the city.

First to comment was the Botswana Democratic Party Councilor, Moswaane who said that the government has to discuss the beneficiation of local mining activity because foreigners own larger shares and Batswana are given leftovers.

He said that it was time the government stood up and changed its policy on foreign investment in mines so that Batswana can get at least 50%.

“I wish President Robert Mugabe could be the leader of this country because we would have enjoyed our shares and benefits,” he said.


A report in the Botswana Gazette said, "He added that he agreed with many people who said that President Mugabe is the answer to African problems because he managed to change the policy so that the government owns 50% or above in his country Zimbabwe."

Another BDP Councilor James Kgalajwe said that if the government could have taken advantage and utilized the mining sector to create investment opportunities the city could be amongst the most developed in this country.

“There are lots of mines around the city but there is not even a single manufacturer which processes the raw materials from the mines, after mining these minerals we have to take them for further processing in other countries. If we were serious about our minerals we could have established a plant that processes raw materials,” Kgalajwe was quoted by Botswana Gazette.

Councilor, Professor Lazarus Tlou of Area W criticized the government for being unfocused adding that if it was focused the country could be one of the richest because there are lot of manufactures that could have been established when the mine opened.

“This is disheartening because even now Batswana are not taught these manufacturing skills but instead they export raw materials to be processed by foreigners."

A report published by the opposition in Botswana to the National budget 2011/12 revelead that Botswana's land was still owned by foreigners and foreign syndicates.

Part of the report read: "... foreign-owned syndicates that own land ... sell it to other foreigners at prohibitive rates, far beyond market prices, and (this is) meant to sideline Batswana.

"Perhaps a starting point of this national conversation would be to conduct an audit of land currently owned by foreigners."

The national conversation on economic empowerment in Botswana started with the Peter Mmusi chaired Presidential Commission of 1982. Up to now the country has not made any strides.

Zimbabwe passed the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act in 2007 which requires all foreign-owned businesses with a turnover of US$500,000 to cede 51 percent of its equity to indigenous Zimbabweans.

Zimbabwe has also been the forerunner in the world in redistributing land that was stolen by Britain during colonisation.

President Mugabe believes that it because of these moves that Britain imposed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe.

Labels: BOTSWANA, INDIGENIZATION AND EMPOWERMENT ACT (ZIMBABWE)

posted by MrK @ 2:07 PM