25 Aug 2013

 President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama has been praised for interacting with people through his now famous walkabouts.

 A resident of Coloured Stands in the Francistown East constituency commended the President during a kgotla meeting addressed by the constituency MP, Mr Phandu Skelemani on August 21.

The resident, Mr Eric Direkileng,  said interacting with ordinary people indicated that the President has a heart for Batswana.

Mr Direkileng said a quality leader did not only confine himself to his office but interacted with people to get firsthand information on their needs and the best way to govern.

On other issues, a fellow resident, Mr Robson Sekhile decried lack of markets for poverty eradication projects, while another resident, Ms Tshepiso Dimapo complained that it took long for beneficiaries to receive the funds after they had been registered and assessed.

The Ward Development Committee (WDC) chairperson, Mr Clifford Masunga, said just like VDC’s, their committees should be allocated plots to build houses for rent.

He suggested that the city council should hand over recreational parks to the WDC to use for income generation purposes as they have no means of generating income.

Earlier on, Donga Court president, Kgosi Harmony Moyo accused some members of the Zezuru community of refusing to immunise their children and not attending kgotla meetings.

Kgosi Moyo observed that some gave birth at home and failed to take their children to hospitals for immunisation.

“This can expose other children to the risk of communicable diseases,” he said. 

In response, Mr Skelemani, who is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said there was need for parents to ensure that their children were vaccinated as recommended by the Ministry of Health.

He said although there was no law binding a person to attend kgotla meetings, such meetings afforded people an opportunity to discuss matters of common interest and nation building.

Mr Skelemani also said it was wrong for poverty eradication captains to register deserving people, train them and then fail to update them about their applications.

The residents were also informed that parliament had approved the Legal Aid Bill and that destitute people would be provided with legal services and advice throughout the country.

The area councillor, who is also the Mayor of Francistown, Cllr James Kgalajwe, concurred about the inherent delays in funding poverty eradication projects, and encouraged residents to continuously make follow -ups on their applications.

Cllr Kgalajwe said the WDCs were at liberty to use parks as long as they were not using them for profit making, noting that the parks were for the community but they were maintained by the council. ENDS