16 Jan 2020

Change in leadership should not in any way hinder the development path of any village.

Mahalapye West Member of Parliament, Mr David Tshere informed his constituents when addressing his introductory kgotla meeting at Mahalapye main kgotla that setting aside their differences was what would earn them their goals. 

Mr Tshere said he did not take for granted the opportunity accorded to him by the residents. He called on the leadership to focus and unite in working towards the good of the people.

Top of his agenda, he said was to try and find solutions to two pressing issues that Mahalapye residents had been lamenting, being the bad state of the bus rank and poor storm water drainage system. 

Mr Tshere explained that the drainage system was included in the National Development Plan but had not yet been allocated funds and promised to make follow ups given the challenges the two posed especially during the rainy season.

He proposed to the residents to make a special request on their behalf for government to put on hold some developments planned for Mahalapye and focus on the two main issues.

On other matters, the legislator briefed residents on business discussed during the first meeting of the 12th Parliament, noting with appreciation that Parliament adopted a motion requesting the Ministry of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs to amend the Citizenship Act so that one retained the Botswana citizen unless they specifically renounce it.

Mr Tshere further encouraged citizen owned companies to make use of the opportunity availed to them through a motion that was tabled by MP for Kanye North, Mr Thapelo Letsholo, calling for reservation of government and state-owned enterprises tenders up to the value of P10 million to be reserved for 100 per cent Batswana citizen-owned Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises with a maximum annual turnover of P10 million.

For his part, Kgosi Duncan Segotsi of Mahalapye welcomed the new MP and registered his desire to see him, councilors, public servants and the VDC working well together. 

Kgosi Segotsi decried the slow pace of development at the village.

“We want you to tell us a clear vision of where you as leadership are taking this village. People are hungry for change and it’s not pleasant for us to see developments in neighbouring villages and not here,” he said.

Mahalapye Central councilor, Mr Joeseph Tjienda decried lack of a development budget at Mahalapye Sub-council, something he said did not present them well before residents since they were not able to finance maintenance works around Mahalapye district.

He therefore appealed to the MP to plead with the local government ministry on their behalf to increase the council budget. ends