12 Aug 2013

Selebi Phikwe Local authority councillors have made recommendations to bring developments and uplift the livelihoods of people in Selebi Phikwe. Councilior for Sesame South, Mr Godfrey Mbaiwa called on government to speed up the implementation project to upgrade Selebi Phikwe Technical College.

He said initially a College of Applied Arts was planned for Selebi Phikwe but later the plan was changed on the basis that Selebi Phikwe Technical College will be upgraded.

He said the initiative to upgrade the college has long been awaited and government should consider speeding up the project.

He also recommended that the institution should expand its capacity to offer not only certificate courses but also diploma and advanced diploma courses.

On government’s plan to introduce reception classes in government primary schools, he said currently the schools do not meet the criteria to host such classes.

He explained that according to set criteria for pre-schools, they should have junior toilets, a sick bay and materials for play, among other things.

He explained that the requirements are not available in government primary schools. He said due to this factor, local authorities are not ready to host reception classes in government schools.

Cllr Mabaiwa further said though there is a need for government to introduce reception classes in its schools, the move should be left to private operators since they have already passed the required standards to have pre-schools.

He also noted that having private operators to run pre-schools will serve as an empowerment tool for locals to have a sources of income and create jobs for other Batswana.  

Cllr for Thakadiawa ,Mrs Evelyn Kgodungwe, concurred with Mr Mbaiwa stating that government primary schools will not be ready to take in children for reception classes by 2014 as planned.

She said government should consider constructing pre-school facilities in primary schools and have all the required structures and equipment in place before introducing children to schools instead of using the already available classrooms and rest rooms used by pupils at primary level.

She said while government is still waiting to construct pre-school facilities in primary school, the intake of reception classes should be left to private pre- school operators.

On other issues raised during the council proceedings, Cllr for Leseding, Ms Leungo Mathaio, expressed concern at the slow allocation of plots in the mining town.

She said some people applied for residential plots as far back as 1994 and up to date nothing has taken place.

She said some of the applicants have long died while waiting to be allocated plots.

She proposed that if a person was in the process of being allocated a plot and died, the plot  should be allocated to their children. Meanwhile Cllr for Botshabelo Central, Mr Molefhe Molatlhegi, supported by Cllr for Ikageleng Phase One, Ms Mmapula Mathole, called for upgrading of the local hospital. Ends