30 Dec 2022

 Mmadinare local economic development (LED) team has drawn up a developmental agenda proposal that, when approved, will help set in motion some efforts towards developing the village.

The LED team, when in full swing, will help turn the fortunes of the village around by amongst other things helping change the mindset of people who had for a long time been accustomed to “state paternalism.”

Unlike other big villages boasting amongst other things some solid internal roads, big shopping complexes and state of the art infrastructure in general, Mmadinare is said to be lagging behind in many fronts.

Speaking at the consultative meeting on Thursday, chairperson of LED team assembled by Member of Parliament for Mmadinare, Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi, Mr Sennye Obuseng said the team has drawn up a vision that will guide the village’s development strategy.

The vision, he said, will span between 10 and 20 years and at its core is to turn Mmadinare into a thriving economy driven by a proposed strategy map, which will be rolled out to the community in due course.

Top of the strategy is to drive human development and propagate a globally competitive human capital, he said.

Mr Obuseng who noted that the LED team had discovered that the village is currently being led by weak and underperforming structures explained that the new strategy will aim at developing capable and effective community structures with emphasis on supporting those holding fort in the village structures, contrary to removing or sharply criticising them.

The future Mmadinare will not only build effective structures, but will also mould an informed and engaged member of the community, he said.

In their endeavour to develop their village to attain and even surpass the status of other developed villages of the same size, Mr Obuseng highlighted the need to identify opportunities the area is endowed with, which can be used to drive human development.

“How do we invest in young people, especially those bred in poor communities,” Mr Obuseng asked rhetorically, challenging all to contribute towards the attainment of education of better quality standards, which will add on to all the other human development efforts.

For the developmental agenda to stick to the rail and deliver the sought after changes in the village there ought to be some mindset change among community members, Mr Obuseng opined, while also urging residents to feel challenged to individually and collectively develop themselves.

Speaking at the same meeting, MP Molebatsi said that the meeting was especially targeting

members of the community who resided outside the village to help foster development in their back yard.

Speaking against the sworn critics of every effort, Mr Molebatsi called on his electorate to commit to partaking in village development structures. In fact, Mr Molebatsi challenged the people of Mmadinare to elect into structures people with the requisite skills necessary to catapult the village to greater heights.

“I challenge you to be part and parcel of development of Mmadinare going forward,” Mr Molebatsi said.

In addition to the strategy, Mr Molebatsi suggested a development agency that will be a reference point and coordinator to other structures.

Although conceding that infrastructure was instrumental in aiding development and that the same infrastructure was lacking, the legislator observed there was ‘too much negativity in Mmadinare.”

The MP also appraised his electorate on Mmadinare village infrastructure development, saying the package will deliver 25 kilometres of tarred internal roads with street lights, storm water drainage system, and will also include the upgrading of Mmadinare Primary Hospital as well as the construction of a police station. ENDS