19 Oct 2016

Tati East MP, Mr Samson Guma says the greatly awaited bituminisation of Tshesebe/Masunga road will be funded under the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP).
Addressing a kgotla meeting in Mowana in his constituency on October 18, Mr Guma said the tender for the road had been floated and that the road would be constructed in a period of three years.
He said the economies of the villages along the road would be boosted as the residents would definitely find employment in the companies carrying out the project.
He further encouraged small business owners to position themselves so they take advantage of the project through subcontracting among other things.
Mr Guma said the Tshesebe/Masunga road was an important development as it links the villages in the Tati East with the district’s headquarters of Masunga, where crucial services such as the hospital and the senior secondary school are found. He thanked the government for continuously forking out about P2.5 billion since 2007 for use in his constituency for developments such as roads, dams, electricity, schools, and a clinic with a maternity wing in Tati Siding.
The MP told the residents that through ESP, a project to service 1000 plots in Tati Siding, 900 in Matshelagabedi, and 900 in Shashe Bridge, was nearing completion.
On other issues, he implored the residents to come up with ways of diversifying the economy because the current turn of events had shown that mineral resources are unreliable.
The legislator discouraged the residents against selling their farms because farming could be used to diversify the country’s economy.
He urged the residents to take part in developing the country because the government alone cannot cope with the burden.
He was sentimental about the spirit of boipelego, saying it should be revived because the government‘s budget was very limited.
The MP also apprised the residents about the issues that were discussed at the winter session of Parliament.
Earlier when briefing the MP, the Village Development Committee chairperson, Mr Richard Monthe complained that Mowana kgotla was recommended for upgrading in 2011 but others were approved leaving it behind.
He said a delegation was sent to the Department of Tribal Administration to seek explanation but up to date there was no response.
Mr Monthe also complained that some people used big trucks to collect sand from the local rivers in what is suspected to be illegal acts.
“Efforts to request the local land board to intervene bore no fruits,” he said.
In response, the Tati Landboard secretary, Mr Fawcus Mmolawa advised the residents to note the registration numbers of offending trucks for proper action against the culprits.
He further said, however, some of the trucks were operating legally and further implored the residents to continue registering their plots with the Land Board.
Councillor for Tshesebe, Mr Smarts Mathonsi said indeed Mowana kgotla was recommended for upgrading but a missing file led to the failure to upgrade it.
He thus pleaded with the MP to help follow up the matter; he also requested the MP to invite the minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs to visit the villages in the area to address citizenship issues including Omang.
Councillor Mathonsi said the North East District council had on a number of occasions invited different ministers to address their council on issues affecting the residents to no avail. ENDS