04 Feb 2020

Mapoka Village Development Committee (VDC) has expressed gratitude over government efforts to develop villages through initiatives such as the Constituency Development Fund.

In an interview, VDC vice chairperson Mr Uneni Kealotswe said constituency funding and the North East District Council had ensured facilitation of projects geared at developing the village.

Mr Kealotswe commended government for the constituency funding initiative which he said had helped communities undertake projects that had long been in the pipeline.

He cited the construction of a kgotla shelter in the village with P700 000 availed through  the Constituency Development Fund during the 2017/18 and 2018/19 financial years.

The shelter, he explained, had been a priority project for Mapoka.

He noted that village youths were employed during the  construction phase of the project.

For the 2019/20 constituency funds, he said the village had been awarded an LA 2 project to address the acute shortage of accommodation for public servants.

He said a cattle crush project, which commenced last year financed by the North East District Council, was complete and in use.

The council had built four houses for the destitute with one still under construction, he said

Emphasising the notion of social responsibility, he said a group of women from Mapoka Primary School class of 1978/79 had adopted their alma mater as a way of giving back.

 So far the group had donated books and other gifts to the school, he said.

He said retirees and churches had also come on board to lend a helping hand.

Mr Kealotswe said it was incumbent upon citizens to meet government halfway by contributing whatever they could for the growth of their villages. ENDS