23 Nov 2015

Residents of Sorilatholo in the Letlhakeng Sub-district have been slow in utilising the telecommunication centre set up by the Village Development Committee (VDC).

The tele-centre, which is managed by the VDC, offers computer services, among others. The centre manager, Ms Mmitele Mokgwetlhwa said in an interview that despite the centre offering various services such as printing, faxing, photocopying and typesetting, the locals are only interested in recharging their mobile phones there.

She further said they also have a pay phone where customers are charged per call, which she said was prompted by the unavailability of mobile networks in the village. Ms Mokgwetlhwa also said due to unavailability of electricity in their village, they recharge mobile phones for a price.

“This is the one aspect of our business that is thriving because a lot of people in Sorilatholo own mobile phones, but do not have access to electricity, and because we have solar panels we recharge for them at a fee,” she elaborated.

She said she was however impressed by the number of public servants who utilise their services, especially teachers, who regularly visit to type, print and make copy documents.

According to Ms Mokgwetlhwa, all of their equipment, which include two computers, a printer, phones, a photo copying machine and solar panels, were donated by the Botswana Telecommunication Corporation upon request by the VDC.

Ms Mokgwetlhwa said although their business is stable, they have been encountering some challenges, especially with the computers, which she says are constantly being attacked by virus, which at times cripple their business.
She also said the transport costs are high as they have to buy their stock, which in most instances including A4 papers and ink.

“We buy our stock at Letlhakeng and our main problem has been the high transport charges. This is so because the road connecting Sorilatholo and Letlhakeng is quite bad.

This means that we have to charge, for instance, P8  per copy while at Letlhakeng they charge only P1.50 or less,” she said.  Ms Mokgwetlhwa said as such customers are always complaining of the high costs of their services. Ends