14 Jun 2016

Minister of Infrastructure, Science and Technology, Mr Nonofo Molefhi, says the church should help address community challenges.

Speaking after the Serowe United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) sponsored walk on Saturday, Mr Molefhi said the role of church was not only to preach, but should be a remedy to challenges affecting the community.

He challenged the church to help in addressing challenges such as HIV/AIDS, unemployment and challenges affecting education.

Mr Molefhi said church could enhance government initiatives by inviting government departments  to brief congregations.

Through this, he said they will help Batswana to utilize or exploit government life uplifting initiatives.

He noted that partnership with the church was inevitable as the church had made many developments citing health and education issues, among others.

 He said the church was also critical in building and molding human personality.

Concerning restoration of the old London Missionary Society (LMS) station located near Serowe Museum, known as Thataganyane to become religious tourism and pilgrimage, Mr Molefhi  advised  UCCSA to  partner with the community.

He said the site did not only hold UCCSA history, but also of Batswana.

He said, through their consorted efforts with the society, they could turn the site into tourism pilgrimage and create employment.

For her part, chairperson of Thataganyane committee spearheading resurrection of the historical site, Ms Molebi Morolong said it was not easy to do anything in the site because it was declared a national monument.

Ms Morolong said they had to request authorisation from department of museums before doing anything in the site, which could be traced back from 1902 during the time when Bangwato were relocating to Serowe from old Palapye now called Malaka.

She said they had already fenced the site that had turned into the heavens for criminals and pastures for cattle.

She said that their priority is to refurbish the hall and later will establish how they can make the area a tourism center.

Currently, she said they have engaged the archeologist to assess the site, saying that it came at a cost of P 100.000. ENDS