26 Jun 2019

Government is aware that in practice, members of Ntlo ya Dikgosi do not serve a full five-year term in office.

According to Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration Assistant Minister Mr Machana Shamukuni, who was answering a question from Kgosi

Rapelang Khuwe on Tuesday, Members of Parliament also suffered the same predicament.

Mr Shamukuni indicated that although the Constitution provided five years as a period of tenure for members of Ntlo ya Dikgosi, the administrative processes that followed the conduct of general election often resulted in unavoidable delays in convening Ntlo ya Dikgosi.

That notwithstanding, he said government intended to continue engaging on the issue with a view to mitigating any disadvantages that often resulted from such delays.

Kgosi Khuwe of Tutume Region had asked if the minister was aware that the term for members of Ntlo ya Dikgosi was not five years as provided for because the house convened months after the National Assembly had been constituted.

Meanwhile, the Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe informed dikgosi that the ministry continued to implement strategies aimed at improving access to specialised services to communities by strengthening the provision of such through outreach services, integration of services as well as putting in place a coordinated referral system.

He said Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and high blood pressure were amongst conditions that were managed in all facilities across the country, adding that in some places such as Block 6 in Gaborone, the ministry operated centres of excellence to provide specialist services for some of the conditions.

He however said the ministry did not find it necessary to construct a specific clinic for such services in Tsabong at this point.

Kgalagadi South representative Kgosi David Toto had asked when an NCD clinic would be constructed in Tsabong to relieve patients from travelling long distances to access specialized treatment at Block 6 clinic in Gaborone.

Still on issues of health, Mr Lelatisitswe said the ministry was aware of the distance of some staff houses from the Parakarungu clinic and the resultant danger posed by wild animals during night calls.

Unfortunately, he said there were no plans to build additional houses for staff of the clinic in the current National Development Plan, indicating though that the ministry would consider including some houses in the next National Development Plans provided funds were available.

He stated that the ministry had however developed measures to improve staff safety during night calls by among others providing the night watchman with a cellphone to enable him to call the driver to pick the nurse from home when there was a patient seeking health services at night.

Further, the assistant minister said the driver on call was also authorised to knock-off with the clinic vehicle so as to be able to pick the nurse from home whenever the need arose.

Kgosi Peter Chika of Chobe Region had asked if government would construct additional houses for Parakarungu clinic inside the clinic premises since the nurses houses were far from the clinic and as such under threat of attacks by wild animals while having to go and attend to patients at night.  ENDS