25 Jan 2016

Gathwane leadership has described as discouraging the tendency by some government employees to refuse to pay rent.

The employees are tenants occupying eight houses that belong to the Gathwane Village Development Committee.

Gathwane Village Development Committee chairperson, Ms Kelebogile Ramakoloi said in an interview that the development has stalled efforts to further develop the village.

“We have arrears in excess of over P4 000 and our attempts to recover the debts have not been fruitful,” she said, adding that they intended to use the proceeds to electrify five of the eight houses. 

Gathwane head of records, Ms Malebogo Makaba shared Ms Ramakoloi sentiments, saying it was the intention of the VDC to raise monthly rental once all the remaining houses were electrified, but that the failure to pay monthly rentals by the occupants has dealt a blow towards further development of the village.

“Already we have managed to install electricity on the other three houses,” she said.

Realising that developments were not coming as quickly as they would have liked, Ms Makaba and her subjects have adopted the principle of self-reliance which has culminated in the construction of the kgotla shelter and a place to dispose off refuse.

At the moment a fundraising exercise towards the construction of a post office is underway.

Besides effecting efficient and speedy communication, Ms Makaba insists the post office would provide the necessary place where the elderly would get their dues unlike in the present situation where she was forced to make way for them to get their monthly old age pension.

Ms Makaba has called on the government to consider extending the village health post which she said was too crowded for a population of over 1 200, and is in dire need of a vehicle to transport the sick. 

The situation, she said, was worrisome especially at night in cases where a patient has to be referred to another health facility for further examination by the medical personnel. 

Ms Makaba is also not happy about the noise emanating from a certain club in the village. She said the club operates beyond the stipulated  hours, blaming it on the delay to have enough police officers in Gathwane.

“We have long been promised a police officer of the rank of Sergeant, but nothing has been done yet,” she said. Ends