15 Jan 2018

Assistant Minister of Investment Trade and Industry Mr Biggie Butale has told residents of Zwenshambe, Mulambakwena and Mosojane villages that construction of Tshesebe /Masunga road was behind schedule.

Addressing Kgotla meetings in these villages on Monday Mr Butale who is also MP for Tati West highlighted that the delays were caused by disputes that emanated from the compensation process for people who were affected by the construction.

However he noted that the disputes had been sorted out adding that everyone who was affected had been compensated accordingly.

The assistant minister indicated that due to the delays the road was at 10 per cent instead of the targeted 40 per cent and was expected to be completed in 2019.

Mr Butale said government had awarded a P14 million tender for the renovation of Zwenshambe Community Junior School which was in a bad state.

He said the renovation process would commence in April adding that this would create employment for the youth in Zwenshambe and neighbouring villages.

Mr Butale further highlighted that a total of P49 million had been put aside for the upgrading of Zwenshambe Health Post to a clinic which would also start in April this year.

The MP told the residents that as he had announced in his constituency about his cycling challenge, he managed to cycle from Masunga to Gaborone to raise funds for computer laboratories in all the schools in his constituency.

He stated that in February he would go back to all the sponsors who had promised to donate money towards the cause.

Residents told the minister that crime rate in their villages was high because they were in close proximity to the border of which they requested that satellite police stations should be provided.

They further complained that some households could not access electricity as they were far from the electricity grid.

In response, Mr Butale requested that people should be patient with the electricity connection as this was done according to availability of funds.

He pleaded with the residents to stay alert and report any acts of crime in their villages adding that in the meantime they should engage in talks with the land board to seek land so that whenever government had sufficient funds for satellite police stations the villages would have secured plots for such. ENDS