15 Jan 2019

Member of Parliament (MP) for Boteti East, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe recently engaged headmen of Letlhakane to clarify their role and duties as per the constitution.

Following a question he asked in the last Parliament sitting about the duties and responsibilities of headmen of arbitration, Mr Lelatisitswe said “there is no act  that guides and regulates headmen of arbitration.”

He further told them that he also learnt from supplementary questions that headmen of arbitration had no authority to take any action against any perpetrator, and that they could be issued with a stamp to sign any government document.

However, Mr Lelatisitswe advised them to continue working with other village leaders for the benefit of their village.

For his part, Letlhakane kgosi, Mr Baruntshi Kegapetswe appreciated the MP’s efforts to consult them as it would help them to make informed decisions. He also said it would help different stakeholders in the village to come up with initiatives and programmes that could attract investors and private companies to contribute in the development of their village.

The headman of Buuhe ward, Mr Alfred Petelelo said he also believed that it was only through unity that they could develop and promote Letlhakane.      

In another meeting, Mr Lelatisitswe met with both the Umbrella VDC and all development committees from all the wards in Letlhakane to map a way forward for the village.    

In a statement, Letlhakane Umbrella VDC chairperson, Mr Gama Shetelang, who is also the chairperson of Letlhakane West VDC, decried lack of consultation from the council.

He condemned the state of communication and consultation that existed between them and Boteti Sub Council, appealing to the MP to intervene before the situation reduced them and their mandate to nothing.

He said some of the projects were slow due to the fact that the council sidelined them in most of the developments in the village hence hindering progress.

“The working relationship we have with Boteti Sub Council is not healthy. It is something that has the potential to paralyse all the efforts we are making as development committees to develop the village. The council never consults with us and I don’t know whether we are not recognised as valuable partners or what. This is totally unbearable as my team is always fighting hard to contribute to the development of the village,” he said.

For his part, Letlhakane East VDC vice chairperson, Mr Joseph Galebowe said it was worrying that some  public servants  failed to pay rent for VDC houses they were renting, saying it was something that disturbed them and defeated their efforts to move forward.

“Some can even go for more than 10 months without paying rent from as little as P100. This is a clear indication that they do not want to cooperate,” he said.

Ms Tsholofetso Thogokima, a VDC member from Letlhakane East, appealed to headmen to refrain from the tendency of failing to attend meetings they always arrange.

“It is a very painful thing because we need their wisdom and ideas to develop this village. We all need each other as the village leadership if we are to take the standard of our village to another level,” she advised. ENDS