09 Sep 2013

The Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development,  Mr Olebile Gaborone has called for strong partnerships in the fight against corruption which is increasing at an alarming rate among public servants.

Mr Gaborone stated that without teamwork, the fight against corruption could not be won.  Addressing a kgotla meeting in Gasita last week, Mr Gaborone said even though Botswana was the the least corrupt country in Africa, corruption continued to be a concern.

He said poor service delivery on the part of civil servants exacerbated corruption. In most government departments, he said, corruption, especially bribery was visible particularly in district councils. 

Mr Gaborone called upon members of the community to report any suspicious activities because measures were in place to detect and prevent corruption. He also blamed residents for poor educational performance of their children as a result of parental neglect especially non attendance at Parents Teachers Association (PTA) meetings.

He urged parents to guide and teach their children manners, good conduct and respect for each other. In the olden days, he said, through the spirit of self-reliance, members of the community were able to develop themselves, adding that the government could not afford to do everything for the nation as the country had been negatively impacted by the global economic recession. 

Gasita school head teacher, Ms Masisi Rapotsanyane complained about the decline of school results which, she said, were a result of lack of parental involvement, shortage of teaching staff, poor accommodation for teachers and poor supervision.

Earlier, Gasita Kgosi Rantetedi Ntwayagae raised concern about baboons and kudus which harass their cattleposts and cause havoc in their ploughing fields. He said baboons kill their small stock while kudus are notorious for destroying crops.  He suggested that the government should find a way of selling baboons to other countries since they have multiplied in Gasita. 

Residents also complained about water shortage which has been worsened by watering livestock at public water points.  ENDS