14 Sep 2020

Ghanzi East Sub-council senior assistant council secretary, Mr Thatayotlhe Balapi, says it is not within the council’s mandate to transport pupils who reside within the township.

Speaking during Ghanzi East council meeting recently, Mr Balapi noted that they could not accede to the sub-council request to transport needy pupils from Meriting to school.

Mr Balapi argued that pupils residing in Meriting ward were travelling an average of 3.5 kilometres from Meriting to their schools against the recommended of a five-kilometre radius. 

Furthermore, he said budget constraints and limited resources restricted them from doing such.

He said mandate of the local authority was to transport orphans and vulnerable children to boarding school as stipulated in manual of the revised national policy of destitute persons of July 2002, which reads ‘council will pay travel expenses for health and educational purposes and rehabilitation programmes.’

“This includes the provision of transport for boarders to and from school at the beginning and end of each school term,” he stated.

Contributing to the discussion, Councillor Jumanta Gakelebone argued that policy issues did not help the situation. 

He said their concern was that needy pupils residing in Meriting ward ended up dropping out of school due to the distance they travelled coupled with bad weather conditions.

Councillor Jeremiah Tibi said although he shared the frustrations with other councillors, a planned school at Meriting ward would help address the problem.

On the request to have a lands officer based in Ghanzi for service provision on state land issues, deputy district commissioner for Ghanzi East, Mr Patrick Tlotleng said this not be possible due to manpower shortage.

However, the councillors insisted on the need to have a land officer in Ghanzi saying SHHA officer was already overstretched.  ends