06 Jan 2016

Three ministers have supported a motion adopted by the Palapye Sub-council to declare the village a town.

Speaking during a briefing session by the Palapye Admistrative Authority, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation,  Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, Mr Prince Maele of lands and housing and Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Mr Moiseraele Goya said the time has come to declare Palapye a town.

They said it would enable Palapye to have its own budget which would enable it to carry out development projects without having to share the limited resources with surrounding villages.

Mr Maele said the envisaged Lerala Sub-district would then have its own budget to serve villages in the periphery.

The three ministers commended the administrative authority for introducing a session where heads of department brief MPs and councillors of constituencies they serve.

The Palapye Administrative Authority serves 27 villages under five constituencies.

They said the briefings would help them give communities in their respective constituencies feedback on development projects in their areas as well as challenges and achievements made by employees.

On politics, the ministers warned the administrative authority employees against uttering political statements whilst serving the public. The three MPs said public employees should leave politics to politicians.

Dr Venson Moitoi, who is also the MP for Serowe South, said employees who wish to engage in politics should resign and join politics.

She said the time has come to take action against officers who engage in politics, adding that action should be taken against such employees.

Mr Prince Maele, who is the MP for Lerala/Maunatlala, added that some public employees utter political statements to the public.

He said public employees have the right to vote during elections but were not allowed to be active in politics. He added that some public servants ignore this by engaging in politics.

For his part Mr Goya, who is also the MP for Palapye, said some public servants criticise the government, adding that “you cannot bite the hand that feeds you.”

For his part, the senior assistant council secretary, Mr Koti Molefi said the Palapye Sub-district was one of the seven sub-districts that make up the Central District.

He said it was, therefore, compelled to share funds allocated to the Central District with other sub-districts.

He said the sub-district has budgetary constraints and was unable to carry out some development projects  in Palapye.

However, he said the council with the support of Botswana International University of Science and Technology, was constructing a paved access road from the railway station to the university. Ends