More details on the BOTSWANA SPEAKS Consultative Meeting with Local Authorities in the Nata/Gweta Constituency

The Nata/Gweta constituency consultative meeting was one of the four that were addressed simultaneously at the four constituencies where the project will be piloted. Save for a few invited authorities who could not make it to the meeting because of transport issues, the meeting qualifies to be described as having been a success. This is evident from the number who attended. The success was mostly due to the efforts of the Constituency Office Administrator who ensured that all concerned were invited as requested.

The Botswana Speaks team explained the project to the audience who appreciated the fact that their constituency was among those selected for the piloting of the project. The audience was taken through the various aspects of the initiative, including the following: Background , Objectives, The Botswana Speaks platform, Citizen participation and envisaged benefits of the initiative and Piloting timeline.

The various speakers who made comments and asked questions after the presentation expressed fears about the level of development in the constituency in terms of access to electricity/computers, Internet connectivity, and literacy levels. They indicated that these factors may inhibit the success of the project.

Nevertheless, they agreed that despite these challenges, the Botswana Speaks project was an opportunity that should not be left to pass by. From the comments that were made and questions that were asked, it was clear that the audience understood the concept behind the Botswana Speaks initiative. Not only did they ask or comment on critical issues regarding the initiative, but they also showed a satisfactory level of understanding of what the project sought to achieve.