09 Aug 2022

Residents of some villages in Tati East have proposed that their constituency be divided into two for effective service delivery.

Making deliberations before the Delimitation Commission in Tati Siding on Monday, they submitted that their constituency was vast for one legislator to traverse and address developmental issues.

Residents of Shashe Bridge, Matsiloje, Patayamatebele, Matopi and Matshelagabedi also argued that their constituency population deserved to be divided into two constituencies.

Shashe Bridge Village Development Committee (VDC) chairperson, Mr Paul Kgaje, said Tati East would continue to lag behind in developments if they had a single Member of Parliament.

Mr Kgaje said resources should be prioritised and implemented in an effective way, but that had proven difficult for one MP.

“From Matshelagabedi passing through Patayamatebele all the way to Bisoli, it should be a constituency on its own to be called Tati South”, he suggested.

Former councillor for Tati Siding, Mr Kopano Maruping, echoed sentiments that villages from Tsamaya to Jackalas 1 should be made a constituency named Tati North. 

He said this would help residents share resources.

“Some residents in Tati East are significantly disadvantaged when it comes to water distribution as some only have access to unsafe water,” he said.

He argued that though Tati East constituency had a population of 38 485, some other factors should contribute to its division such as the geographical structure of the area.

Matsiloje VDC secretary, Ms Gaone Kgathi, pointed out that having Masunga as headquarters of North East District, disadvantaged other villages, hence the need to establish another constituency that would have its headquarters. 

Ms Kgathi said it was of paramount importance for the development to follow people or be brought closer to the people for easy access. 

She explained that Masunga as the headquarters of Tati East and Tati West constituencies was overloaded.

Ms Kgathi proposed that Tati Siding be made headquarters of the new constituency, adding that travelling to Masunga was also costly. Earlier on, a member of the commission, Mr Jost Isaac told the residents that Parliament had already passed a motion on the increase of constituencies from 57 to 61.

He said the population census was one factor used in determining whether the area qualified to be a constituency, adding the population of that area should be above 41 386.

Even though the population of Tati East had increased from 30 881 to 39 485, Mr Isaac advised the public to consider other factors such as the means of communication and geographical structure.

“This is to allow the feasibility of the division and ensuring that in the long term, it does not become a problem that makes it hard for constituencies to exist on their own,” he added. ends