29 Nov 2015

Livestock production in Kgalagadi can described as the diamond of that area since most people rely on it.

Therefore, the Member of Parliament for Kgalagadi North, Mr Itumeleng Moipisi called for more government assistance to supplement programmes already in place that help farmers.

He said the government through programmes such as ISPAAD and LIMID helped farmers to acquire livestock, but the challenge now was source of water for the livestock.

He suggested that the Ministry of Agriculture could work with the Office of the President through its poverty eradication programmes to see how best they could help farmers in the Kgalagadi area with water, adding that the 40 per cent that the government contributed through LIMID to help farmers dig boreholes was not enough.

Furthermore, the Kgalagadi North MP said unlike other parts of the country, to reach underground water when digging boreholes was not easy because sometimes one could go as far as 400metres deep, hence his argument for the government to consider increasing the 40 per cent.

Still on the issue of livestock, Mr Moipisi pleaded with the minister to consider deploying a veterinary doctor in Kgalagadi North since it had been a long time now without such doctor.

On education, he said he was concerned about the rate at which schools in his area performed poorly in final examinations, both junior and senior secondary schools.

He attributed this to the shortage of classrooms and laboratories among others. He said he hoped that upon implementation of the Economic Stimulus Programme such schools would see an increase in the number of classrooms and laboratories. 

Meanwhile, Ramotswa MP, Mr Samuel Rantuana said construction of the Ramotswa bridge that crosses to South Africa was in good progress and was near completion. He urged the government to ensure the good state of the Ramotswa-Boatle road as more vehicles would soon use the road once the bridge was completed.

On another matter, Mr Rantuana decried shortage of student accommodation at Kagiso Senior Secondary School, stressing that it was a bad situation. He said when students were supposed to be four in a room, the number had doubled to eight.

He also pleaded with the minister responsible to consider that upon implementation of the ESP. Ends