30 Oct 2016

President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama has assured residents of Etsha 1 in the Ngamiland district that shortage of water will soon be a thing of the past because Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) had completed repairing the borehole in their area.  

Addressing a Kgotla meeting on Saturday, President Khama said the corporation was also in the process of drilling a second borehole which would also contribute to reduction of shortage of water in their village.

President Khama was responding to Kgosi Matema Karomo of Etsha 1 who had expressed concern that his village was experiencing dire shortage of water.

Kgosi Karomo said in his welcome remarks that the situation was bad to the extent that people, including the elderly fetched water from neighbouring Etsha 6.

In other issues, Kgosi Karomo lamented the halt in the construction of Kgotla offices through the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) as a result of shortage of funds.

He also requested government to replace the village clinic vehicle which was relocated to Shakawe in 2012.

Further, President Khama assured residents that construction of their customary court offices would continue as planned.

President Khama said he was aware that the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development had advocated for fast tracking allocation of business plots to the youth as a way of empowering them.

That was in response to Ms Tshepo Motanzie, who decried lack of business plots in their village.

Ms Motanzie had earlier said Gumare Land Board refused to allocate plots for them as young people in business, thus making it difficult for their businesses to prosper because of high rentals in the market.

For his part, Okavango Sub-district council deputy district commissioner, Mr Thabang Waloka, spoke of plans to fix the road to Etsha 1.

Mr Waloka also reminded residents that in the past roads that led to Etsha 6 and Etsha 13 were tarred  but had since been damaged.

He indicated that plans to put bitumen on such roads were underway and had submitted Etsha 1 access road to the District Development Plan 8 for it to be considered for construction.

However, he said they were still awaiting feedback on whether their request would be successful or not.

On shortage of medication in the village clinic, Mr Waloka said the situation had since improved even though they had, this month experienced shortage of high blood pressure medication in Etsha, Gumare as well as Central Medical Stores.

He further explained that as the district leadership, they had decided to source some of the medication from private pharmacists to improve the situation.

“I believe by the end of next week we will be able to normalise the situation,” he said.

On construction of teachers’ houses and classrooms, he said the project was under NDP 7 but was later put on hold as a result of the past economic recession which did not spare Botswana at the beginning of NDP 10.

He however said the project would be considered under the ESP.

Meanwhile, despite challenges, residents thanked President Khama for his dedication in improving the lives of Batswana.

They also commended the president for the poverty eradication programmes which they said were making a huge difference in their lives.

The area Member of Parliament, Mr Thato Kwerepe, also assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, also thanked President Khama for his visit despite his busy schedule.

However, he appealed for help in finding a market for baskets given that basketry was a way of life of people in the area. ENDS