30 Aug 2021

Government is on the right track in taking development and services to the people, says Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation, Dr Lemogang Kwape.

Speaking in an interview with BOPA on Saturday, the minister urged Batswana to be patient as taking development to the people was a process.

Dr Kwape who is also Kanye-South MP decried budgetary constraints, noting it was an impediment in fast-tracking developments as well as expediting service delivery.

He however said it was government’s wish to see Batswana having access to quality services at all times.

The interview followed a groundbreaking ceremony recently to kick-start the upgrading of Sesung Health Post to a clinic without a maternity wing. The project is due for completion in nine months. He said once funds were available in future, the clinic would be transformed into a fully-fledged facility incorporating a maternity wing.

Dr Kwape however noted that services would not be interrupted during the construction phase since building of the new structure would not affect the existing one.  He said locals would be considered for employment during construction. Dr Kwape said the facility would add value to the health system of the country and its developmental agenda as well as address the issue of inter-linkages of services.

He said the new clinic would not only be a facelift of the village but would also shorten the distance that residents needed to travel to get medical attention.

He said the health facility would assist in managing the provision of quality, affordable; preventive, rehabilitative and treatment health services to the area hence promoting health and patient care services.

In a separate interview, Kgosi Basimanyana Dinake of Sesung said upgrading of the health facility was a sign that government cared about the wellbeing of Batswana.

He said the mortality rate would likely decline due to getting medical attention at the right time.

Mr Tumelo Dikole, managing director of Core Capital proprietary limited, a 100 percent citizen owned Construction Company told BOPA that Moshupa Sub-district council performed the site handover on August 12.

He said excavation work had been done and now back-filling with gravel in preparation for the foundation was ongoing.  He said the structure was at slab level constituting five per cent of the work.

Mr Dikole said the company employed 10 Sesung youths as labourers and two bricklayers. However, he had also in his employ three senior brick layers to provide guidance and mentoring as well as a site foreman, one architect, one Joseph Cyril Bamford (JCB) construction equipment operator and two truck operators.

He said he would do everything in his power to ensure that the project was delivered within the stipulated time frame. ends