21 Aug 2020

Mabutsane Sub-district councillors have resolved to request southern regional education director to explain accommodation woes at Mogale Junior Secondary School in Maokane. 

The resolution was arrived at after councillors were informed that 13 teachers were accommodated in Jwaneng, about 40km away from the school, but there was no arrangement to transport them to and from work. 

Principal education officer, Mr Daniel Mapini, had informed councillors that the decision to accommodate teachers in Jwaneng came after the ministry bought some houses from the Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC). 

He said the houses were not bought specifically for Mogale teachers, but that they were only accommodated as a temporary measure. 

The councillors said this was unfair on the teachers since they were forced to use own resources to travel to and from work on a bad road. 

They said the arrangement also contributed to the school’s perpetual poor academic performance, adding that there was need to hear from the regional director because he was involved in the procurement process. 

On other issues, Mr Mapini informed councillors that they were still awaiting a team of experts from the department of facility management to assess teachers’ quarters at Maiteko Junior Secondary School in Mabutsane to determine the material used to construct them. 

He said the team’s expertise was requested after teachers raised fears that the houses could have been constructed with asbestos, a material well known to be a health hazard. 

He said there had been similar fears at Mogale junior school, only for the experts to find out that the houses were pre-fabricated and safe. 

Meanwhile, Mabutsane District Health Management Team (DHMT) head, Dr Christopher Chembe said there should be a medical doctor in every village in the sub-district, looking at the fact that most villages were far apart. 

He said they had unfortunate instances where deceased persons had to be transported a long distance, just to be certified dead, something he said could be easier with more medical doctors. 

He, however, said there was shortage of medical doctors the world over, but pleaded with the councillors to use their power of political advocacy to request for more doctors for the area. 

Dr Chembe was responding to an enquiry on when the department planned to increase the number of doctors in the area. 

In another matter, councillors agreed to ask permanent secretary in the Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Service to explain persistent water challenges in their area, especially in Khakhea, Sekoma, Mahotshwane and Itholoke. Ends