29 Mar 2017

Efforts by government to ensure that all children get education despite where they live proved futile after learning that some parents ward off their responsibilities where education of their children is concerned.
Early last year, government reacted promptly after there were reports that children who live in the lands dropped out of school because they travelled long distances to school.  As a contingency measure, government sourced help from different sponsors who in turn bought donkey carts to transport these children to and from school.  
The donkey carts project was to be run by the concerned communities together with Parents Teachers Association to make sure children attend school.
In Mmamoagi lands though, the matter has taken a different twist as their children are not attending school although they have two donkey carts to service them.  This emanated from a kgotla meeting that was addressed by the area MP for Letlhakeng/Lephepe  Mr Liakat Kablay on Wednesday at Mmamoagi.
Residents complained that their children are not attending school because the donkey cart service is no longer available.  They said that one of the residents who had volunteered his donkeys can no longer render his services because his donkeys died last year due to drought and that he is currently attending to his field.  
Again residents have failed to volunteer as per the procedure of running the donkey cart service since the community is required to own the project.  Failure to volunteer to avail donkeys has now resulted in children dropping out of school.
Secretary for the MP Mr Tshepiso Lesope  has appealed to Mmamoagi residents to decide who will transport their children to school.  He said that there have been several attempts by the school head and area councillor to get them to iron out their issues and choose someone to carry on transporting children but those efforts have failed.  He cautioned them that denying children from getting education was wrong and that they should hasten to resolve this matter.
The area councillor Mr Digobo Ramathaosa also reiterated that he has convened several meetings with the Village Development Committee as well as the residents to resolve the matter and nothing has been done.  He furthermore indicated that, volunteers are paid a monthly fee by the district council. ENDS