07 Sep 2022

Plans are underway to procure a borehole drilling machine truck to help improve agricultural entrepreneurship across Mmathete/Molapowabojang constituency, area MP Dr Edwin Dikoloti has said.

He made the remarks when addressing residents of Mogojogojo during kgotla meeting in his ongoing constituency consultative meetings.

He said lack of access to water hindered most youth to utilise government grants and loans to establish businesses.

In that regard, he said the move would further promote youth engagement and employment in the agriculture and food systems.

He said the truck would be purchased with the constituency funds, adding that the truck would be belonging to all who reside in Mmathethe/Molabowabojang constituency.

“Global inequality for food security is an existing trend that has been highlighted and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This then calls for all of us to play a part in attaining radical transformation of our food systems,” he said.

In doing so, Dr Dikoloti, who is also Minister of Health, further said the truck would be availed to drill boreholes for the farmers in the constituency, adding that, the move would then benefit those who had access to those boreholes.

He said his constituents would also enjoy reduced costs of borehole drilling as subsidised prices would be extended to those wishing to drill boreholes in their farms, adding that the truck would also attract revenue for the constituency through leasing it out to other districts.

Dr Dikoloti advised that the revised Intergrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD) would have less, but notable changes for subsistence farmers, adding that most developments had been made for commercial farmers.

He, therefore, encouraged residents to take advantage of the scheme bearing in mind that they should ensure that they attain remarkable returns as in the future it would be difficult to seek assistance for those who did not produce satisfactorily under the scheme.

Addressing health issues, he said the ministry was now gearing towards a people centred revitalised care as an innovative approach to addressing key health challenges such as lifestyle related diseases and incidences of communicable diseases.

He said shortage of drugs and medicine countrywide were real, and that government was working round the clock to arrest the situation.

He attributed the shortage of supply to high demands, which was experienced by international manufactures, as their operations were halted due to COVID-19.

Responding to the plea for a clinic, Dr Dikoloti assured residents that plans were underway for a clinic to be opened in the area, adding that government was in the process of transforming all health posts into clinics, under the National Development Plan 12.

In his welcome remarks, Kgosi Setshego Sebopo was concerned by delays of land allocation on the part of Ngwaketse Sub-landboard, adding that for a long time there had not been any allocations made in the village. ENDS