15 May 2014

The closure of the Kitsong centre in Matobo village in the Tutume sub-district has disadvantaged residents as they are forced to travel long distances to access Information Communication Technology (ICT) services.

Following theft of the centre’s equipment worth more than P30 000 in 2011, the residents have no alternative but to travel to Tutume to access ICT services.

The Centre was equipped with four computers, a photocopier, fax machine, printer, cell phones, be Mobile airtime vouchers and cell phones chargers which have not yet been recovered.

In an interview, Kgosi Oteng Matobo said they have long reported the matter to the relevant authorities but no replacement of such equipment had been made and no one has been arrested in connection with the matter. 



Kgosi Matobo lamented that the closure has disadvantaged the community especially civil servants working at the village as the centre provided easy access to ICT services, empowered youth and the community with knowledge to develop their livelihoods and enhances communication in villages.



A resident, who worked at the Centre, Ms Patience Zongwa noted that the community benefited from services such as photocopying, printing, internet, faxing, as well as sell phone charging.

Ms Zongwa said the centre also benefited the youth as it had reduced travelling time and cost to access high quality information, and now they have been left with no alternative but to travel to Tutume for such services.

She noted that the business was generally doing well as they had clientele from the primary school and business community.  

Ms Zongwa also noted that the elderly used to buy airtime and charge their cell phones from the centre. 



“The close down has also left me stranded, I no longer have any reliable source of income to manage my life and family,” she said.

However, she was optimistic that the centre would be operational again as maintenance has been carried out and they were still awaiting replacement of the equipment.



Another resident, twenty year old Joyce Bontsi said they have been denied information because they used the centre to search for jobs and other opportunities on line and they cannot afford to travel to Tutume. 



Kitsong centres are a government programme in partnership with Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) aimed at bridging the communication gap between rural areas and other parts of the country.



The centres also provide new information technology in rural areas as well as lessen the impact of rural urban migration. ENDS