16 Oct 2017

Residents of Letsholathebe and Masunga have expressed their frustrations over the lack of consultations by the Tshesebe-Masunga road contractor.

Residents aired their complaints during kgotla meetings addressed by Assistant Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry and MP for Tati West, Mr Biggie Butale on Friday.

They asked the MP to explain the criteria used by the contractor to employ people in the road construction project, stating that they had hoped that residents of villages within the road would be employed.

The village leaders also said ever since the contract was awarded, the contractor had never held meetings with village leaders to discuss how the public could benefit from the project.

The MP stated that it was the contractor’s discretion to decide who they hire. However, he noted that government encouraged that they employ people in the locality.

He said as the MP for the area, he would arrange a meeting with the contractor to pass the grievances aired by residents.

Mr Butale noted that the road would bridge the telecommunications gap between the villages and improve business within the district, as it would be an alternative route to Francistown.

Furthermore, Mr Butale stated that the winter Parliament had amended some laws among them the National Registration Amendment Act, which allows the national registration office to investigate cases where parents delay to make Omang for their children.

He highlighted that in the past, parents who delaedy to apply for Omang for their children were penalise which resulted in some parents deciding not to make Omang applications at all.

However, he told parents that the amendment did not mean that parents should lag behind in registering their children for Omang since the penalty had been nullified.

He said the law also provided that family members of a deceased person should return the deceased’s Omang to avoid issues of fraud.

The MP told residents that the Tribal Land Amendment Bill was also passed which provides that land boards should issue a title deed for tribal land.

He highlighted that the old land ownership certificates would be converted to title deeds.

Mr Butale said government had developed the dam tourism master plan, and that its objective was to convert dams across the country and make them tourist attraction sites.

He noted that Ntimbale Dam would benefit from the plan with hotels built around the dam of which they would create employment.

The Tati WestMP highlighted that his cycling project had been postponed to December to raise P20 million for all the schools in his constituency to purchase computers.

Mr Butale said he would pass the message to President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama that they would like him to visit their villages. ENDS