- Mother party unaware of the initiative
SESUPO RANTSIMAKO
FRANCISTOWN: The Ministry of Health and Wellness will investigate the Botswana Democratic Party Youth League’s (BDPYL) initiative of embarking on house-to-house campaign to sensitise the public to the Coronavirus, which is against the thrust of the ministry’s advice, Minister Lemogang Kwape has said.
The campaign, according to the Secretary General of the BDP youth wing, Otsile Machola, started in Tutume over the weekend and is expected to spread to other remote areas around the country. Machona said the main objective is to make sure that no Motswana, especially in remote areas, where information is scarce, is uninformed about the deadly pandemic.
Asked if they are not doing the opposite of what health authorities want, Machola said that they are trying to reach out to remote areas that are always behind in critical information. “This is the time for everyone to play a role and as young leaders we are trying to play ours by going around sensitizing Batswana in rural areas to the Coronavirus,” he insisted.
Approached for comment, the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kwape warned that steps will be taken against anyone who defies precautionary measures to fight the Coronavirus. “What is important is that we have an instrument that prohibits social gathering of more than 10 people,” he responded by WhatsApp. “Therefore, any violation is punishable. But I will investigate the issue first.”
The Chairman of BDP Communications and International Relations, Kagelelo Kentse, said that they are not aware of the youth league’s initiative but they long advised them to engage the mother party whenever they want to disseminate messages concerning the Coronavirus. “We have also advised the youth league that any message that they want to spread in relation to the Coronavirus must be aligned to what the Ministry of Health is saying,” Kentse noted. “We will engage them further to advice accordingly.”