24 Aug 2017

President Lieutenant General Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama says Presidential Housing Appeal’s aim is to have built 800 houses for needy persons by the end of the year. President Khama said this Wednesday at a kitchen soup supper in Mabesekwa in the Tonota Constituency. 

He informed the residents that needy persons just like other Batswana, deserved to have dignified shelter they called home. Thus, he said it was through the President Housing Appeal that he encouraged Batswana and other stakeholders to help those in need. President Khama added that government also had a programme facilitated by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to house needy persons. 

“It is as such that through destitute housing initiative that government has arranged that 1 000 houses be built annually. 

The programme will continue until all needy persons are housed,” he said. Meanwhile, Kgosi Tshwaro Masisi of Mabesekwa expressed concern that they were promised that their village would be electrified since it was gazetted almost 30 years ago but they still did not have electricity. 

In response, President Khama said government was committed to their promise even though there was no timeline of when the village would get electricity. 

Notwithstanding, President Khama encouraged them not to lose hope because many other projects, including major ones, around the country had stalled as a result of financial constraints. On another issue, Kgosi Masisi also expressed concern about the bad state of the road. He indicated that they were as such disadvantaged given that they got services from Tonota, far from their village. 

Further, he indicated that some government programmes beneficiaries also failed to showcase and sell their products to bigger markets. He also complained that their healthpost did not have a doctor while patients’ privacy was also compromised given that the facility was too small. 

Again, he expressed concern that lack of electricity in the village also left them behind in the use of technology. However, he commended government for the destitute housing programme, which had since benefitted 26 families in his area. 

Area Member of Parliament, Mr Thapelo Olopeng appreciated the community for coming in large numbers, saying such helped in community building and village development. Meanwhile, President Khama donated 30 Kgotla chairs, Bibles, blankets and solar lights to residents. ENDS