11 May 2016

 Councillor for Moshaweng in the Letlhakeng Sub-district, Mr Rutang Rasega, says shortage of office space and transport hampers civil servants from delivering to the expectations of the communities they serve.

Contributing at the on-going Letlhakeng Sub-council forum on Tuesday, Cllr Rasega said some offices that the civil servants occupied lacked basics coupled with poor accommodation.

Cllr Rasega cited the case of the agricultural demonstrator in the area, saying he had been without an official vehicle for a long time, which made daily chores such as monitoring of the drift fence under construction difficult.

He said as a result the project had taken a long time to be completed because of lack of supervision. He therefore urged the authorities to improve the resource situation for the officers. 

Meanwhile Cllr Rasega faulted the Kweneng council for sitting on a 2009 resolution that recommended the provision of basic amenities such as water, mobile stops as well as two classroom schools for Kolojane, Masupe and Kgare/Sebotswane settlements among others.

He therefore called on the sub council to institute a task force to look at the causes of the failure to act of the recommendation. 

Councillor for Ditshegwane-Maboane, Mr Tshabahule Kgotlhang concurred that evidence for such a recommendation was available.

He said such settlements were given the right to be provided with the amenities as they pre-date the formation of the land boards and therefore residents cannot be classified as squatters.

On other issues, Cllr Kgotlhang raised concern at what he termed a dire situation of shortage of hostels at Mphuthe Junior Secondary School in Letlhakeng. 

The school relocated to a new site in the village after the old structure was rendered inhabitable due to cracks.

The hostels at the old school however, are still used by students who commute daily on foot to the new school.  

Cllr Kgotlhang said the fact that there was no monitoring of students as they walk to and from new school provides ample room for misconduct such as sexual activities.

He said therefore the school would continue to produce poor academic results until the situation was rectified by constructing hostels at the new school. Cllr Kgotlhang also pleaded with the education authorities to phase out out-door classes, especially at primary school as it hampered maximum concentration by students as they were always distracted by activities around them.

For her part, specially elected councillor, Ms Gabampatle Ramonnanyana also supported the idea that a task force was needed to establish the reason for failure to implement the council recommendations of providing basic services at selected settlements in the area. 

She said such a task force would ultimately assist in seeing to it that residents were freed from their suffering. ENDS