03 Mar 2016

The Minister of Agriculture Mr Patrick Ralotsia has urged the residents of Kanye-North constituency to take advantage of the available citizen empowerment programmes, initiatives, interventions and better their lives.

Addressing village elders in Lekgolobotlo Mr Ralotsia complained that low uptake of the programmes in the area was a cause for concern, despite active efforts by the ministry to inform and encourage all Batswana to take advantage.

In particular, he encouraged them to make the most of the ISPAAD programme to fence their fields especially through the cluster fencing component, drill boreholes and improve the conditions of their lives. 

Mr Ralotsia also area Member of Parliament further challenged the farmers to visit and take advantage of the National Food Technology and Research Centre (NFTRC) which is located in the district. He advised farmers to take farm produce like makatane to the centre for research with a view to come up with by-products like jams and drinks. 

He argued that processing farm produce could create employment for many.

On other issues, he informed the meeting that the abandoned 14km Lekgolobotlo-Potsane road would be gravelled in the next financial year. 

He explained that the road was constructed by the late Kgosi Bathoen II of Bangwaketse but fell into disuse in the last fifteen years after the tarmac of an alternative 42km route which he described as rather too far for the residents.

He stressed that rehabilitating the road would reduce the distance residents travelled to access goods and services from nearby villages like Boatle and Ramotswa.

Mr Ralotsia highlighted that Lekgolobotlo was part of the greater Gaborone therefore rehabilitating the road could see more people coming to stay in the village hence improving its socio- economic status.

The minister furthermore argued that shortening any distance people travelled between two places was a critical aspect in the fight against poverty.

Mr Ralotsia moreover promised to address several such meetings across his constituency to share ideas and experiences with the constituents in future.

Meanwhile, Mr Ralotsia also promised to follow up what might have delayed the registration of Dipoo Hill and Barui borehole syndicates.

One of the applicants Mr Sluysken Malele complained that they applied for a borehole in 2004 but have yet to get authority to use it from the land authority.

As for cluster fencing, he explained that there was room for consideration in the event the fields to be fenced together did not quite make the 150 hectares threshold. He was responding to a question from Mr Motshegetsi Makwa who had raised a concern that the 150 hectares required for cluster fencing was rather too much considering the small farms spread across the area.

For his part the Assistant Minister of Health Dr Alfred Madigele who had accompanied Mr Ralotsia to the meeting conceded that the Ntlhantlhe-Lekgolobotlo health management centre was overwhelmed. 

As a result, he said most of the residents usually travelled to Ramotswa or Gaborone to access services. 

He said thorough considerations would be made whether or not to expand the services within the centre under DDP 8 and NDP 11 respectively. 

However, Dr Madigele explained that the shortage of drugs for critical health conditions like Hypertension has been resolved across the nation.

He also informed the meeting that each health district has been allocated P150 000 to be used for minor works. 

He said the money would enable managers to maintain facilities and create a conducive work environment for staff and customers.

He further explained that the Alcohol and Substance Abuse grants have also been decentralised to the districts. 

He was reacting to a concern from a resident Mr Godiraone Sefatshe who had requested for the funds to be allocated to the districts. 

He said centralising the funds disadvantaged Batswana in the districts. Ends