27 Jun 2016

Bobonong legislator, Mr Shaw Kgathi, says his mandate is to ensure that the constituency gets a facelift in terms of infrastructural development.

Speaking during a kgotla meeting in Bobonong on June 22, he said it was against this background that the area was experiencing an influx of development projects.

Mr Kgathi, also Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, said such projects included Bobonong/Sefhophe fog spraying which has been completed, Bobonong/Lekkerport road which was at 50 per cent, water reticulation and roads at Malepane settlements.

Other developments offing would come through the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP). They  included maintenance of institutions such as Mosetlha Junior School and Matshekge senior school, upgrading of Borotsi Clinic and Bobonong Primary Hospital from 30 to 70 beds.

Thune Dam pipeline construction to reticulate water to all 10 villages of the constituency had started, he stated.

He said in the 2016/17 fiscal year and the following financial year, more developments would be done in the area.

Another development that brought excitement to the constituents,   he said, was opening of the long awaited Mabolwe Border Post between Botswana and Zimbabwe, which would promote local and international trade as well as reduce cross border crime drastically.

The border provided the shortest route to cities like Bulawayo in Zimbabwe and upon the completion of the Platjan Border Bridge, the area would get more travellers and urged residents to position themselves to exploit opportunities that come out of that.

Meanwhile the MP has expressed concern about high rates of pregnancy at Matshekge School which in 2015 up to now, there are 18 dropouts. 

He pleaded with parents to monitor their children as such cases show negligence on part of parents.

Part of that was that parents have neglected their culture and children behave in an undesirable manner while some fail to discipline their children blaming Children’s Act  for preventing them to do so and stated that parents needed to discipline their children.

But the MP warned those who engage in sexual activities with students that they would face the wrath of the law.

The law he said was currently discriminatory to teachers who engage in sexual relations but other cadres were not accountable but said his ministry intends to amend the law so that anybody who engages in sexual relations with students will be prosecuted.

Concerning the rate of crime in the area, he said crime statistics have dropped drastically in Bobonong according to the number of cases recorded.

Motseothata Mafoko, VDC chairperson expressed concern about escalating cases of stock theft in Bobonong and culprits were on bail from magistrate courts and wanted such cases to be dealt with by customary courts.

He said crime incidents were more pronounced in areas like Setup8ujmung and Mmadiphiri in Borotsi which have become a haven for criminals and called for flood lights to address the issue.

Mr Mafoko also stated that new plots in Borotsi were not serviced yet and the correspondence they got from the water authority was that the area was outside the water grid.

However residents blamed some new churches for rise in teenage pregnancy saying many of their congregants were young girls.

Mr  Ditsele Mashabane said some pastors target school going children as their congregants which many spend most of their time at the church than studying.

Ms Precious Marope said all night prayers were a contributing factor to pregnancy where children choose church over their studies, while Ms Oaitse Phatshwane also blamed churches as well as parents that let their children to participate in night church services and urged them to be responsible. Ends