22 Jul 2014

Improving education and health systems is among government’s priority areas, President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama told the residents of Borolong in the Tutume Sub-district during a kgotla meeting.

Responding to Kgosi Israel Molema’s concern about congestion at the local clinic and primary school, President Khama said the government was doing all in its power to deal with issues regarding both education and health.

He said since 2009 government’s intention had been to upgrade health posts to clinics and expand hospitals.

On Ipelegeng, President Khama said the programme was only a temporary measure to relieve people from current economic hardships, while at the same time carrying out long-term development projects identified and prioritised through the normal development planning process.

Meanwhile, the President said the ministers’ telephone numbers recently given out to the public were primarily for purposes of calling the relevant ministers on any issue of their ministries.

Borolong Village Development Committee (VDC) chairperson, Mr John Mpofu acknowledged government programmes, especially Ipelegeng projects, saying they helped Batswana a lot.

Mr Mpofu also said crime was worrisome in the village and urged the government to increase the number of police officers in the village.

He also complained about the shortage of accommodation for public servants.

He appreciated President Khama’s visit, saying it showed his love, care and support for his people.

When responding to crime issues in the village, police divisional commander for north, Senior Assistant Commissioner, Dinah Marathe said they conducted a workshop in the past in which they collaborated with the community with the objective of fighting crime from all fronts.

She said such an exploit had helped them to control and reduce crime considerably, adding that they had also deployed an additional police officer of sub-inspector level to the village considering that there was a high number of illegal immigrants in Borolong.

Furthermore, she pleaded with the residents to install security alarms in their homesteads as most of the houses broken into were owned by people who could afford to. ENDS