16 Jan 2022

There is need for prompt assessment and rectification of the damage at Molapowabojang Cemetery. Mmathethe-Molapowabojang Member of Parliament, Dr Edwin Dikoloti said this when responding to a concern made by Kgosi Michael Ratsoma, at a kgotla meeting recently.

Dr Dikoloti appealed to residents to visit graves o loved ones so as to appreciate their status. “In order to preserve the dignity of our dearly departed, we have to unite as one and ensure that we maintain and refill the graves that have been affected,” he said.

In that regard, he called for speedy response action to addressing the matter by the residents, adding families, relatives and friends should unite to restore the deplorable state that the graveyard was in.

“I have trust this situation will be attended to as a matter of urgency,” he said. He urged residents to always ensure timely visits to the cemetery to maintain graves.

Dr Dikoloti, who is also Minister of Health and Wellness, further thanked all who had vaccinated for COVID-19 for heeding the plea, and taking the bold step towards preserving their lives.

He also appealed to parents to take their children aged 18 years and below for COVID-19 vaccination once the roll out began, adding that the process was underway and would soon be implemented.

Dr Dikoloti also urged those who had not vaccinated to ensure that they did, adding that there was plenty of COVID-19 vaccines available for use, which included 1.4 million doses of Pfizer, 600 000 of Johhnson and Johnson, 52 000 of Sinovac, 72 000 of AstraZeneca and 900 000 of Modena.

Vaccines, he said were sourced to protect the lives of all Batswana, as illustrated in the President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s reset agenda.

Earlier on Kgosi Ratsoma had complained about the state of the cemetery, saying the graveyard had not been maintained for years. He said the recent accumulation of rainwater at the graveyard had left a trail of damage after the village experienced torrential rains.

Kgosi Ratsoma said due to the excessive rains, some graves sunk, tombstones collapsed grave identities washed away.

“We are not pleased with the current state of our graveyard, which is in deplorable state of disrepair owing to no maintenance over the years. As a result, some of the graves have sunken beyond normal, so care should be taken to ensure that this does not happen in the future,” he said.

In other issues, Kgosi Ratsoma was concerned about the excessive use of drugs and alcohol in the village.

He added that it was disheartening because the police did not have transport to address the situation.

He however assured the police of kgotla’s commitment to work with them by sharing a vehicle, a collaboration he said would help to reduce crime in the village. ENDS