24 Oct 2017

Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration has told residents of Mabolwe in the Bobirwa Sub-district that he would inform the President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama about their concerns.

The concernst include cross border crime and marauding elephants that destroy property.

Addressing a kgotla meeting in Mabolwe recently, Mr Thato Kwerepe was informed that some people suspected to be Zimbabweans steal livestock in the village and surrounding areas and traffic them their country.

Mr Kwerepe however advised farmers that whenever they locate their stolen livestock in Zimbabwe, they should inform veterinary officers rather than track livestock into the country because of fear of Foot and Mouth Disease reported in that country.

Concerning elephants that caurse problems for farmers, the assistant minister concurred elephants had increased in number causing conflict with people.

Mr Kwerepe added that since Botswana was a signatory to protocols pertaining to endangered species, she could not cull them.

Besides, he said elephants were a source of revenue for the country.

Mr Kwerepe, also Member of Parliament for Ngami, was in the area to visit poverty eradication projects and encouraged people to apply for social upliftment programmes.

Pertaining to destitute persons, he said they have to be given first preference when they apply for programmes and when they seek assistance in any organisation.

Mr Kwerepe commended beneficiaries whose projects were flourishing and encouraged those that were lagging behind to follow suit.

At the same meeting, Kgosi Join Ngala thanked government for programmes such as Nyeletso Lehuma for helping people graduate from poverty, but was worried that some people were not utilising such programmes.

Kgosi Ngala said people in the area had been turned into destitutes because their livestock had been stolen and trafficked into Zimbabwe. The other concern he raised was that elephants were many in the area and called for control measures.

Elephants, he said, destroyed farmers’ properties such as fields, borehole equipment, which destruction he said was also turning people into destitution.

The VDC chairperson, Ms Tshoganetso Mathora said Ipelegeng programme had engaged 124 people, which she said had changed people's lives.

She was also happy that government programmes and schemes such as YDF were reaching the village, as such destitute and needy persons were being assisted.

Ms Mathora said since the arrival of Special Support Group and Botswana Defence Force crime was minimal.

She informed the assistant minister that the clinic had only one nurse and called for an additional nurse to help patients when the other one is on leave.

She also requested for the construction of a drift at Shashe River at Mabolwe Border Post to enable small vehicles to cross between the two countries.

One resident, Ms Ndodi Mmamalelala, a beneficiary of Nyeletso Lehuma, said it had done wonders for her as she has managed to extend her house.

Ms Mmamalelala also showered accolades to civil servants in Mabolwe, whom she said were committed to work and provide services to the people.

However, some residents that were assisted through LIMID raised a concern that they were  only partly funded and were not given vaccines for their livestock.

Meanwhile in Tsetsebye, Kgosi Kgosidialwa Motsamai also praised government for social upliftment programmes aimed at eradicating poverty.

He was however concerned about escalating crime, where some crime syndicates steal farm produce targeting maize and watermelons, saying it was hard to arrest such due to shortage of police officers. ENDS