06 Jul 2022

Residents of Ngami want their constituency realigned to make way for an additional one.

They made the proposal during the Delimitation Commission consultative meeting held in Gumare on Tuesday, saying the current constituency was vast, with some remotest villages as well as bad terrain.

The residents said their proposal could be achieved by realigning Okavango, Ngami and Maun West constituencies after which, Ngami could then be split into two to form Ngami South and Ngami North or Ngami South West and Ngami North West respectively.

In his proposal, Etsha 1 Village Development Committee (VDC) chairperson, Mr Izaiah Manyeha suggested that the proposed Ngami South constituency be formed with some villages from the current Okavango and Ngami constituencies.

“The proposed constituency should start from Nxamasere, include villages of Xaixai, Xangwa and stretch to Habu,” he said.

Mr Manyeha said having two constituencies would make the area more manageable for a Member of Parliament.

Etsha 6 VDC chairperson, Mr Kopinga Setlhare proposed that the other constituency should start from Tsau veterinary gate to Ikoga veterinary gate and include villages such as Nokaneng, Gumare, Etsha 6 and 13 and be named Ngami West.

Gumare VDC chairperson, Mr Tshenyegelo Bonang suggested that Ngami be divided into Ngami South West and Ngami North West, with Ngami South West starting from Sitatunga to Tsau and Ngami North West stretching from Nokaneng to Etsha 13.

Kgosi Ledimo Ledimo of Xangwa said the proposed Ngami South could include Somelo, Bodibeng, Bothatogo, Sehithwa, Tsau, Xangwa, Xaixai and Dobe, while Ngami North should include Gumare, Nokaneng, Tubu and stretch from Etsha 1 to Etsha 13 up to Ikoga.

One community member, Mr Simon Meti suggested that the Delimitation Commission should consider factors such as the vastness of Ngami, since the population quota per constituency may not favour them.

Mr Meti suggested that the proposed Ngami South should include Toteng village, which currently fell under Maun West and have Somelo village under Maun West.

A member of the Delimitation Commission, Mr Maotoanong Sebina said as per the recent census, the Ngami constituency had a population of 46 721, while the population quota for a constituency was 41 396.

He, however, said that the commission may consider other factors such as geographical location and natural community interests such as language and culture. BOPA