30 Jan 2019

Tutume Sub-district council chairperson, Mr Ishmael Mokgethi has decried vandalism on the Tutume infrastructure development projects.

Addressing an emergency meeting he called to update the leadership on the state of vandalism on newly installed street lights in the village on Jnauary 29, Mr Mokgethi said damaging of government property is against the law and has serious consequences.

He thus appealed to the community to report those responsible, highlighting that the street lights are part of the P280 million village infrastructure project scheduled to be completed in March 2020.

He thus stated that so far, about eight lights are not working, with two having been damaged and one having been cut off and the solar panel stolen. 

He said investigations are ongoing to find those causing such damages, noting that a single light costs between P23 000 and P27 000. 

Further, Mr Mokgethi lamented that the council would have to bear the repair costs as the contractor had finished the work and handed the lights over to council, adding that the council had no budget for such.

He pleaded with the leadership and parents to talk to their children about stealing property, which is aimed at changing the appearance of their village as the sub-district headquarters.

Meanwhile, when briefing the meeting on the progress, principal roads engineer for the council, Mr Juluka Zambezi said the project is on schedule.

Mr Zambezi said they expect to open about four kilometres of bitumen road for public use by the end next month. 

He said at that time, the contractor will start construction of storm water drainage along the roads. In addition, he said they are hopeful that in the next six months, they would have completed installation of all the lights and handed them over. 

Mr Zambezi as such urged the community to desist from causing damage, which will result in the project not serving its purpose.

On other issues, Kgosi Alphonse Nsala of Tutume said crime was escalating in the village. 

Kgosi Nsala said just recently, they received reports that there were groups of pupils, moving around the village either harassing elderly people or breaking into teachers’ houses. 

He said at Pandagala junior school, six teachers’ houses were broken into by a group of pupils, while another destroyed newly built houses at Denjebuya junior school.

He called on parents to act, adding that if that fails, the culprits would be brought to the kgotla to be disciplined. ENDS