18 Oct 2022

Tutume Sub-district will be upgraded to a full district this financial year.

Addressing a consultative meeting in Tutume on Monday, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse said sub-districts were established to bring services closer to the people.

He, however, said even with sub-districts some services were distorted hence the decision to further decentralise.

Minister Autlwetse noted that there were 22 subdistricts across the country and that in the first phase 11 would be upgraded and that the remaining ones would follow in the next financial year.

He added that Tutume was among the first because of its vastness and the costs that came with servicing it.

He said councillors at the sub- districts held meetings prior to moving to district councils to hold other meetings and discuss the same issues at sub-district level for a whole month.

He added that a lot of resources were used in all the arrangements.

He noted that deputy district commissioners as well as other senior officials from sub-districts had to also attend the full council meetings with councillors from their sub-districts.

Mr Autlwetse said his ministry was working round the clock to ensure that the transition took place. He said the transition would not only affect councils, but would also affect other departments such as the district commissioners’ office, tribal administration and land boards.

In his welcome remarks, Kgosi Tapson Madikwe of Tutume welcomed the decision to turn the sub-district into a full district, and that they were eagerly awaiting the implementation process.

On other issues, he applauded the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for filling all court clerk positions in all the villages within his jurisdiction.

He, however, appealed to the ministry to communicate prior to the expiry of contracts of dikgosi on whether their contracts would be renewed or not.  He said Goshwe, Manxotae and Sepako did not have dikgosi following the expiration of contracts of their dikgosi, noting that Goshwe had been without a kgosi for almost five years. ENDS