23 Feb 2016

Some Batswana are still not coming forth to collect their national identity cards.

Addressing a full sub-council meeting in Tutume on February 22, sub-district council chairperson, Mr Ishmael Mokgethi said they were faced with a challenge of uncollected cards, where a total of about 513 cards had not been collected.
Out of that total, 153 were fresh applications and it therefore raised questions of responsibility by parents as such applicants were still under their guidance.

Cllr Mokgethi said this was disappointing in that on a quarterly basis, the department as part of their taking services to the people initiative, visited 32 of the places under their jurisdiction and these places include cattle posts where most of the vulnerable groups reside at.

While at the same time at these places, there are often issues of transport, hence through the initiative, the department is trying to meet the people halfway in their efforts to have proper documents but still Batswana do not turn up for such services.

Furthermore, he lamented that there is also a disturbing trend of some customers in some areas who have a tendency of furnishing false information when applying for registration documents.

He said this is compromising the integrity of the national documents and in some instances acquisition of such documents by non-citizens. Cllr Mokgethi nonetheless pointed out that most of such cases are investigated and resolved administratively, while others are referred to the investigation office in Francistown.

“I am appealing to you to address such concerns and relay the importance of giving accurate information with respect to registration documents,” he said.

In addition, he highlighted that most of the unregistered citizens are from the Basarwa tribe dwelling at the cattle posts that also do not attend or have their children attending school, adding they also do not go health facilities for antenatal checkups, hence most of their births occur at home.

Cllr Mokgethi however noted that although proof of birth documents is required for birth and Omang registration, these particular citizens are waivered and assessed through registration assessment committees.

He nonetheless implored the councillors to always make means to encourage such citizens to make of government services meant to cater for them, adding that like any Motswana they have the rights to enjoy the benefits from the government and at the time services are brought to them, they should not disperse but instead come forward and make use of them.

“Under the government of Botswana, we are all equal hence initiatives to take services to every corner of the country where a Motswana resides,” he said.

On other updates, he informed the house that results for junior secondary schools across the sub-district called for urgent attention from the whole leadership in partnership with teachers and parents. Ends