22 Aug 2019

Chobe MP, Mr Machana Shamukuni, says time is now for legislators to reflect on achievements and challenges they faced during their five-year term.

Addressing Mabele residents recently, Mr Shamukuni, who is also Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, said some of his successes included an on-going construction of Kazungula Bridge.

He also cited the re-conditioning of the Kazungula-Victoria Falls road as one of the constituency’s achievements. 

Mr Shamukuni said a contractor was on site to refurbish the road.

The Chobe legislator said the shortage of laboratories had been addressed at both Liswaani and Chobe junior secondary schools, adding that six more additional classrooms had been built at Chobe junior.

He said the hospital design was in progress, though he admitted that it was going at a slow pace.

The assistant minister further informed residents that the lifting of the hunting ban would be implemented at the beginning of the hunting season in April next year. 

Mr Shamukuni said at the just ended Parliament session, legislators reviewed the Trade and Industrial Development bills with the view of removing certain licenses except those that dealt with health and safety measures.

The MP thanked his constituents for working harmoniously with him in the past five years.

In his welcome remarks, Kgosi Richard decried the shortage of water in the village. He said people who stayed in that area travelled long distances to fetch water and in the process getting exposed to dangerous wild animals.

VDC chairperson, Mr Society Thagami complained about members of the community who failed to participate in VDC activities and some members of the committee who abandoned their responsibilities.

Mr Thagami complained that the third nurse had not reported because of shortage of accommodation and that there was shortage of paracetamol tablets at the clinic.

He also requested for the paving of the school yard.

One of the residents, Mr Edson Shamuka, applauded government for revisiting trade laws that restricted Batswana to do business.

Mr Shamuka also thanked government for empowering married women by allowing them to apply for plots. 

He, however, raised a concern about the rate at which wild animals killed people in the area.

On other issues, Mr Shamuka said the Botswana Defence Force had donated computers to a school in the village but were of no use due to lack of Internet.

He said availing WiFi would assist in improving the quality of education since teachers would be able to research and even further their studies while still in Mabele.

Ms Gonewang Kabubi complained that it was difficult to connect water at Muchenje because the area had been designated as farming fields and they had to change land use before they could apply for water connections.

The district needed a senior school for parents to be able to participate in the education of their children, she said, noting that the distance to Nata made it difficult for them to visit the school.

Mr Ritual Tawana complained that open spaces in the village created conflicts since some residents squattered on them, adding that he had long requested for the physical planner to record all the open spaces in the village so that they benefit people fairly.

In response, Chobe District Council chairperson, Mr Paul Chabaesele, said the council would consider the Wi-Fi request and approach stakeholders such as Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) for assistance.

He further said the council would assess the possibility of paving the school premises and also advised residents to consider utilising their village share from Chobe Enclave Conservation Trust for other projects such as paving the school.

Chobe Land Board chairperson, Mr Johane Chenjekwa explained that Land Administration Procedures Capacity and Systems (LAPCAS) would help address the issue of open spaces and he pleaded with residents to patiently wait for its completion.

Mr Chenjekwa promised the residents that the Land Board would address a Kgotla meeting in the village in the near future to come and address any other land issues.

Water Utilities Corporation official (WUC), Mr Mogomotsi Mothowakgosi informed the residents that the project of reticulating water to the upper side of the village had been completed.

He said the project which was in two phases, comprised the construction of a 100 cubic metre water tank and the three kilometer water network expansion.

Mr Mothowakgosi said the water tank was outsourced and the water network was done through labour intensive. 

 

He urged the residents to start applying for private water connections, adding that a prepaid standpipe would be availed in the near future to be used while people were still awaiting their private water connections. ENDS