01 Sep 2013

Members of Parliament for Maun East and West, Okavango and Chobe have been urged to stick together in Parliament when addressing issues concerning their constituencies.

Kgosi Gokgathang Moalosi of Sankoyo said this in his welcome remarks at a kgotla meeting addressed by Chobe MP, Mr Gibson Nshimwe on Thursday. He said there was need for a united front from the MPs when addressing Ngamiland, Chobe and Okavango in Parliament.

Kgosi Moalosi also decried the state of the Shorobe/Sankoyo/Mababe/Khwai Road, saying it was a health hazard to people’s lives. “I am yet to hear the issue of this road being addressed in Parliament even though it is killing the same tourists that this country is attracting,” he said.

He indicated that the road was bad for the economy as it destroyed government vehicles whose bill for frequent repair was borne by the taxpayer.  “We do not even have public transport because people are afraid of what it will do to their mini buses,” he said.

He said while a tender for the maintenance of the road was said to have been awarded and the work to start in June, nothing had happened. Kgosi Moalosi appealed to MP Nshimwe to atleast advocate for tarring the roads that connect villages and leave some roads within the park.

For his part, Maun East MP, Mr Frank Ramsden said gravel roads were expensive to maintain, as such a consensus should be reached to tar the road. “A gravel road has to be maintained every three months and this is not even possible here,” he said. Residents also felt that they needed to benefit more from tourism in their area. ENDS