21 Aug 2022

The population of Mogoditshane qualifies it to have two constituencies, says Mogoditshane MP, Mr Tumiso Rakgare.

 Debating the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2022 last Thursday, the MP said it was not easy to effectively service a densely populated area of more than 88 000 people through one constituency.

He noted that Nkoyaphiri North ward in Mogoditshane had over 12 000 inhabitants. He argued that the constituency was lagging behind in provision of services, especially health services, and that it ended up putting pressure on health facilities in Gaborone.

He also argued that villages and towns with smaller populations than Mogoditshane such as Maun, Molepolole, Serowe and Selebi Phikwe, were represented by two or more MPs while Mogoditshane had one only. He said a second constituency should be considered for Mogoditshane.

“Mogoditshane should be the first place to be considered. This one should not be a debate for the delimitation commission. They should consider that Mogoditshane has suffered for a long time. We were second to Molepolole in the 2011 population census, but we were not given a second constituency,” said the MP.Another legislator who said his constituency needed to be divided into two was Letlhakeng/Lephepe MP, Mr Liakat Kablay. He said accessibility of services should be the primary objective of government, and that political representatives should be closer to people for ease of access.

“People from villages of Lephepe, Sojwe and Boatlaname in the Letlhakeng/Lephepe constituency are forced to travel long distances when they need to go to the MP's office which is in Letlhakeng. So it is not easy for them to communicate the challenges they have to me as their MP,” said the legislator. He also pointed out that the vast distance between villages in the constituency made it difficult for him to hold kgotla meetings in all the villages.Ghanzi South MP, Mr Motsamai Motsamai on the other hand pleaded for Ghanzi District to be divided into three constituencies. He argued that the district was too big to be serviced by two MPs only. He said Basarwa settlements around Xade should have their own elected MP instead of sharing the MP with faraway villages such as Ncojane, adding that Xade and Ncojane were more than 400 kilometres apart.

Palapye MP, Mr Onneetse Ramogapi was also of the view that Palapye should be divided into two constituencies. ENDS