18 Oct 2016

Residents of Ditshiping in the Ngamiland District have complained about the bad state of a road that makes accessing primary health care services difficult.

They said this resulted in patients defaulting from taking medical treatment from Shorobe, which lies about 50 kilometres from their area. 

Residents said a monthly mobile clinic was not enough.

The chairperson of Village Development Committee, Mr Khaise Xhaa said primary health was being compromised in their village.

He said during the rainy season they did not access health services at all because the road would be impassable.

He appealed to government to post a nurse to the area to enable residents to access services closer.

“Most of the residents are economically challenged and can not travel a long distance to get treatment,” said Mr Xhaa.

He also requested that the road be improved and that the mobile clinic stop should visit them at least twice a month. 

He raised a concern that some students attending school in Maun were idling because their parents have no homes or relatives to accommodate them in Maun. 

He decried lack of basic developments, adding since their village was ungazetted they were failing to benefit from government programmes. 

He said although poverty eradication officers sensitised them about the available packages, they were unable to apply because they have no land to operate from.

Government, he said, assisted VDC to construct two houses in 1992, but they had turned into white elephants. 

He said the houses’ roofing had been destroyed by the wind and the district commissioners officered assured them assistance but todate nothing had been done.

“We cannot generate funds to carry out community developments because there are no public officers to rent the houses which had been constructed since 1992,” he added.

Kgosi Galebosi Tshekonyane said it was disheartening that since the village existence in 1961, they could not access services like other villages.

He said Sankoyo village was newly established but it was more advanced in terms of development, adding Ditshiping residents depend heavily on natural resources besides Ipelegeng programme. 

He said other means of survival included fishing, cutting of grass and reeds and operating mekoro business, adding that traditionally they depended on rearing of livestock. 

“What surprises me is that I have been installed as the village chief in 2002, and I am being paid and yet we are told we could not access services because we are not gazetted,” he lamented. 

For her part, the deputy district commissioner, Ms Angelinah Leano said ‘the area is not gazetted but efforts are being made to bring services to the communities’ adding that due to shortage of transport services provided were not done on a regular basis. 

She said some departments and organisations such as National and Civil Registration, Botswana Post and Health were trying their level best and that they experience difficulties to reach the area during floods.

She said the area is a wildlife management hence it was difficult to bring some permanent developments noting that only projects applicable to the area could be carried out. 

In addition, Ms Leano noted that settlements have mother villages where they could access services.  ENDS