04 Jul 2018

As the construction of a 26-bed poli-clinic looms at Letlhakeng, residents are more wary than happy as they fear that the hospital would go the way of many other government structures in the village.

The village is renowned for its collapsible soils that often give in, particularly under large structures. Speaking at an environmental assessment consultative meeting by Co-Environmental Solutions at Letlhakeng on July 3, former MP, Mr Boometswe Mokgothu cautioned that all measures should be taken to ensure that necessary procedures such as soil tests were done to guarantee the sustainability of the building.

“We have a number of government buildings that are currently abandoned, such as the landboard, the kgotla offices and a whole secondary school, all because the structures cracked and became unhabitable,” he said.

Mr Mokgothu said that this was a waste of government funds, and that the same fate should not befall the hospital. Mr Mokgothu also advised on the location of the sewer ponds for the hospital and said they should be located such that they did not contaminate the agricultural area.He also appreciated the consultative meeting as he said it would assist the community to own up the project. Head of the Department of Buildings and Engineering Services, Ms Kegomoditswe Sibisibi informed the community that the project was still at design stage, which was expected to be completed next year.

She said the 26 bed poli-clinic will also comprise of among others, 25 staff houses, maternity and theatre wards as well as a holding mortuary. She cautioned that the project might take time as there were still a lot of consultations to be done between stakeholders.

Assistant district commissioner for Letlhakeng, Mr Mosipidi Mokgolele also pleaded with the community to exercise patience as large projects as the one expected always took time to be physically started. Councillor for Letlhakeng South, Mr Opaletswe Mogolwane said the community had long awaited the construction of the clinic, and that the consultative meeting by CO-Environmental Solutions would act as an assurance that the project was indeed coming.ENDS