07 Feb 2023

Kgosi Reuben Ketlhobogilwe of Matsitama has decried the growing scourge of alcohol abuse in the village.

Briefing area Member of Parliament, Mr Fidelis Molao during a kgotla meeting recently, Kgosi Ketlhobogilwe said due to the high unemployment rate, residents, both the young and old, had turned to alcohol to pass time.

He, however, lamented the severe consequences of this pastime, saying after excessively imbibing, some ended up committing crimes such as gender-based violence (GBV), which had escalated. 

He said some children were molested, resulting in high teenage pregnancies, adding that it was also disheartening that such cases went unreported.

Kgosi Ketlhobogilwe noted that they had high hopes when some companies showed interest in re-opening the copper mine in the village as they anticipated job opportunities, but to no avail.

He further decried the high rates of child labour, saying some parents hired out their children as livestock caretakers to make ends meet.

He thus appealed to the MP for assistance to find an investor to open the mine to create employment.

In response, Mr Molao said it was the parents’ responsibility to ensure that children grew up in a conducive environment, warning that turning children into bread winners was against the law.

He appealed to parents to send their children to school.

Furthermore, Mr Molao urged the community to unite against GBV cases by reporting perpetrators.

Meanwhile, the MP revealed that the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD) was coming to an end and would be replaced with Temo Letlotlo which he said would be launched sometime during the year.

Mr Molao urged his constituents to take up the new programme, which encouraged cluster fencing, to farm more efficiently and effectively. Ends