10 Dec 2019

A conducive environment coupled with a better infrastructure that will link Hukuntsi and Zutshwa salt project has the potential to boost economic growth for the Kgalagadi region.

Commenting on the State-of-Nation-Address in Parliament on December 9, Kgalagadi North MP, Ms Talitha Monnakgotla said the Zutshwa salt project could improve the lives of the people of Zutshwa through opportunities such as employment and empowering locals through the mining of salt in the salt pans.

She applauded the government for resuscitating the Zutshwa salt project, saying if properly managed, the people in the Kgalagadi area would benefit from the project.

Ms Monnakgotla, therefore, called for a road network that linked the Zutshwa salt project with Hukuntsi and the market.

She said from the feasibility study that was done to determine if the production rates would be economically sustainable, it had surfaced that there was stockpile at the project warehouse which had been attributed to poor terrain between Zutshwa and Hukutsi.

“The status of the terrain between Hukuntsi and Zutshwa is a contributing factor towards the success of the salt project as it hinders consumers to easily access the product. It is therefore important for the government to construct a tarred road between Hukuntsi and Zutshwa,” she said.

Ms Monnakgotla acknowledged government efforts for having created temporary employment for rural area dwellers through the Ipelegeng programme.

She, however, pleaded with the government to consider increasing the Ipelegeng wages and employment quota in settlements for residents to realise its economic benefits.

The MP also urged the government to setup a special LIMID programme for farmers in Kgalagadi to enable them to drill boreholes without going beyond the current funding ceiling.

She said this was because farmers in Kgalagadi were required to drill deeper than their counterparts in other areas of the country for them to reach water which resulted in more expenses.

On other issues, Ms Monnakgotla raised a concern about the poor education results in the region and attributed the dismal performance to lack of parents’ involvement in their children’s education.

She said by taking education seriously, disadvantaged communities were better placed to easily take greater control of decisions affecting their lives t

She further decried shortage of special needs classes in her constituency, adding that there were currently only two to serve the entire constituency, with one being at Makgakgane Primary School in Hukuntsi and the other at Mahutsane primary school in Kang.

 Ms Monnakgotla further called on the Ministry of Health and Wellness to upgrade the Kang clinic to a Primary Hospital saying it was overwhelmed by road accidents causalities due to its location along the Trans-Kalahari high way.

 For his part, Tati West legislator, Mr Simon Moabi complained of slow implementation of projects in Tati West citing the Kalakamati-Zwenshambe road project which he said had long been shelved due to the previous economic recession. 

He, therefore, pleaded with the government to include the project during the midterm review.

He also called for the recommencement of the Tshesebe-Masunga road project that was terminated due to non-compliance by the contractor, highlighting that the project had in the past created employment opportunities for residents.

 Mr Moabi applauded government efforts to introduce the Early Childhood Education programme in schools in an effort to improve learners’ readiness for schools.

 He, however, raised a concern that the programme was yet to be rolled out in his constituency. 

 He also expressed a concern that Moroka and Jakalas continued to experience shortage of water despite their proximity to  Ntimbale dam. 

Mr Moabi also urged the government to construct a fire station in Masunga that would service the constituency. ends