03 Jan 2019

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has advised residents of Otse in the Shoshong constituency to be mindful of the environment as they engage in various festive season activities.

“Celebrate responsibly, do not litter the environment,” said Dr Masisi.

Dr Masisi visited the residents of Otse on the New Year Eve and handed over food hampers.

He urged parents to lead by example by caring for the environment and manage waste that would emanate from the festive season activities.

“I am here on the last day of the current year to celebrate with you and wish you a successful new year.

I am here with my wife, to share with you food hampers, our good gesture was made possible by donations from the business community,” he said.

He however acknowledged that the food hampers were not enough to cover all corners of the country.

When responding to some of the issues that were raised by Kgosi Boithamako Keiponye, Dr Masisi assured residents that he would schedule a kgotla meeting at the village in future.

“Prior to my visit, I will send some ministers to attend to your issues,” he added.

Dr Masisi has also appealed to the area MP Dikgang Makgalemele to consider funding Kgosi Keiponye’s request of making the community hall sound proof through constituency funding.

In an effort to minimise the effects of drought, Dr Masisi said government had subsidised stock feed. He however said they were reports that some individuals were abusing the gesture, by buying in bulk at subsidised government suppliers and therefore denying others an opportunity to enjoy the offer.

“That is why we require an identity document, a keeper card and brand certificate from a farmer in order to purchase livestock feed at subsidised prices, he added.

In his welcome remarks, Kgosi Keiponye had pleaded with government to consider opening a junior secondary school in Otse, to cater for villages in its periphery like Kodibeleng and Mokgenene among others.

Kgosi Keiponye had also called for maintenance of Dibete/Lephepe disease control cordon fence.

He also added that despite the fact that Dr Masisi visited on a rainy day, the village was affected by drought.

Kgosi Keiponye had also applauded the positive effects of the Kgomo-khumo operation to fight stock theft.

On other issues, Kgosi Keiponye was also concerned by noise pollution as a result of music held at the community hall.

Even though he was not against such activities, Kgosi Keiponye was concerned by the disturbing noise and therefore called for the facility to be sound proofed.

He also applauded Ipelegeng for creating short term employment opportunities for the majority of the residents.

Meanwhile, Shoshong MP, who is also Assistant Minister for Youth Empowerment, Sports and Culture Development, Mr Dikgang Makgalemele said Dr Masisi’s visit on the last day of the year was to cleanse the village of all the negatives deeds of 2018 while celebrating the good as well as wishing the residents of Otse a prosperous new year.

Mr Makgalemele also encouraged the residents to take advantage of government initiatives aimed at developing agriculture like ISPAAD.

He also added that Otse was challenged by the impact of drought.

He said the tarred road that passes through the village was one of the resources that the residents could tap into and develop eco-tourism.

He said even though the village was under the Remote Area Development Programme, it was not by any chance starved of opportunities to prosper.

Mr Makgalemele said Otse was a livestock production area, as the area to the west of the village was predominantly occupied by livestock ranches.

He therefore appealed for the development of infrastructure in production areas such as the Sandveldt ranches.

Mr Makgalemele also indicated that women in the village were pleading with the First Lady to pay them a visit in future to discuss issues of women empowerment. Ends