15 Feb 2015

Residents of Tewane in the Mahalapye West constituency have been told that their village will be connected to the national electricity grid by September this year.

Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Mr Kitso Mokaila said primary school buildings would be electrified around August and September this year. He was responding to a request by Kgosi Kerapetse Kalanke of Tewane who wanted her village to be electrified during a kgotla meeting addressed by President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama on February 12. 

Kgosi Kalanke had also decried shortage of water in Tewane explaining that her village’s population had increased and the water that were supplied by bowsers was not enough.

Mr Mokaila said the population of Tewane according to the previous census was 411; therefore the water supplied to them was sufficient. The problem, according to the minister was caused by some people who collected water from the village using donkey carts to water their livestock at lands. 

To correct the situation, Mr Mokaila said pre-paid standpipes would be connected in the village. Kgosi Kalanke had further wanted government to upgrade her Kgotla. She said her village was surrounded by cattle posts which were prone to cattle rustlers, yet the Kgotla had only four female special constables, a situation that was putting them in danger.

However, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Slumber Tsogwane said the ministry had received requests from Tewane and other villages for their Kgotlas to be upgraded and the matter would be looked into and appropriate actions would be taken. 

As for the additional classroom needed at the village’s primary school, Mr Tsogwane said government had a backlog eradication programme aimed at ending the problem of shortage of classrooms in schools, but priorities would be given to where there was dire need as there were some schools which needed more classrooms.

The Village Development Committee’s (VDC) chairperson had earlier requested government to construct an extra classroom in the village primary school as there was a class which uses a staff room. Mr Kgomotso Mogaetsho had also pleaded with the authorities to upgrade their health post to a clinic with two nurses.

In her response, chief health officer in the Ministry of Health, Ms Chalebiwa Nfila said population of Tewane did not warrant a clinic to be constructed in the village. Ms Nfila explained that for a village to have a clinic it must have 1 000 people or more, but there were only over 400 people in Tewane. She said her ministry was intending to expand the space of health posts as it had been realised that they were limited.

Meanwhile, Minister of Youth Sports and Culture, Mr Thapelo Olopeng, said starting from April the youth serving under the national service initiative would work only half a day. That, he said was intended to allow them time do something beneficial or even look for a permanent job. 

The minister also said their allowance would be increased from P500 to P600 and an extra P100 would be saved for them. Mr Olopeng also stressed that they should be engaged so that they could learn on the job.

A youth, Ms Kgomotso Samuel had earlier complained that they received their allowances late. She had also said they loiter around Tewane Kgotla without being given anything to keep them busy. ENDS