11 Jan 2018

Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, Dr Alfred Madigele on January 9 drilled residents of Gasita on the duties of Parliament, one of the three arms of government.

Giving a ‘public lecture’ during a kgotla meeting recently, Dr Madigele said other than the advocacy role and promulgation of laws, Parliament was charged with an oversight role to ensure good governance.

Dr Madigele, who is also Member of Parliament for Molapowabojang/Mmathethe constituency, said it was therefore incumbent for electorates to familiarise themselves with the duties of Parliament and hold to account lawmakers; something he said goes a long way at promoting participatory democracy.

On other  issues, Dr Madigele relayed to residents that delay in the distribution of seeds to farmers was as a result of incidents of corruption that had of late unsettled the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security.

“Upon unearthing these corrupt tendencies, the ministry had no option but to stop the tender to award seeds to allow for further investigations on the matter,” he said.

Dr Madigele also conceded government was equally worried by the state of Mogale Junior Secondary School in Maokane and many other schools whose conditions had deteriorated.

Gasita Village Development Committee Chairperson, Ms Goemaone Sebate had earlier on during her appraisal to Dr Madigele registered concern about the inhabitable state of the school particularly the dormitories.

In response, Dr Madigele told resident that he has had the opportunity to also visit the school in question and witnessed the sorry state of the facility.

Moreover, Dr Madigele assured residents that government had already dispatched P1.2 million toward maintenance of the school.

He also pleaded with parents to urge their children to desist from vandalising school property saying most of the damage caused to school property was perpetrated by some unruly behavior by some students.

The minister was however happy that Gasita Primary School Standard Seven results had improved to above 50 per cent, something he remained hopeful would improve for the better in future especially with the envisaged construction of the school library. ENDS