03 Apr 2023

The Jwaneng/Mabutsane constituency has one major public library and two village reading rooms.

This was said by Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, Mr Tumiso Rakgare when answering a question in Parliament recently.

Mr Rakgare said the public library was in Jwaneng, while the two village reading rooms were in Khakhea and Mabutsane.

He said of the three facilities, both Jwaneng public library and Mabutsane village reading room were equipped with Internet and computers. He also said the Khakhea reading room had computers that were not connected to Internet. He added that the ministry intended to increase access to information in all its facilities, including the Khakhea village reading room.

“The plan for the 2023/2024 financial year is to upgrade Internet connectivity in a number of our public libraries and village reading and these include, among others, Mabutsane village reading room in the Jwaneng/Mabutsane constituency. Internet connectivity at Khakhea VRR is scheduled for the 2024/2025 financial year as it cannot be accommodated earlier than that due to financial constraints,” he said.

He further said the ministry had a long standing agreement with the Village Development Committees (VDCs) through an existing Memorandum of Understanding where the two had agreed that the VDCs would provide structures to accommodate village reading rooms and maintain them while the ministry would equip the VRRS with furniture, books and human resource.

He said there were instances when the VDCs had not managed to undertake maintenance due to high costs and they requested for assistance from MYSC.

In this regard, he said funds over P284 million and P148.5 million had been used to refurbish both Khakhea and Mabutsane village reading rooms respectively while at the Jwaneng public library, P109 000 was used to maintain air conditioners and install new ones.

He added that the Jwaneng public library was staffed with three officers as well as three Tirelo Setshaba participants. He further said Mabutsane village reading room was staffed with one library attendant and one Tirelo Setshaba participant. He added that the Khakhea village reading room had no officer following the retirement of the previous position holder.

“However, a process to upgrade and transfer a permanent officer to Khakhea has started. In the meantime, an advert to appoint a temporary officer is already out while awaiting the transfer of a full-time officer. The recruitment process is expected to be concluded by the end of this month,” he said.

He said the Mabutsane village reading room was opened to the public in 1998, Khakhea village reading room in 2000 and Jwaneng public library in 2010. 

He said the Jwaneng public library was last maintained in 2019 and the project entailed installation and maintenance of air conditioners while the Mabutsane village reading room was last maintained in February 2021 and that entailed installation of new air conditioners, electricity upgrade, plumbing and building works. 

The Khakhea village reading room, he said was last maintained in June 2021 and that entailed general maintenance, replacing of fence, air conditioners and building works.

He further said there were 145 youth placed under the internship programme in the Jwaneng/Mabutsane constituency from 2018 to date, while 32 were employed in the constituency since then.

Jwaneng/Mabutsane MP, Mr Mephato Reatile had wanted to know the number of libraries and reading rooms in the constituency, and whether they were equipped with Internet connection, funds used to develop the facilities, number of people employed in the facilities, the date each facility was opened to the public, and the date of the last maintenance project at each facility. 

He also wanted to know the number of youth placed under the internship programme in the constituency from 2018 to date, the number of youth who were now hired permanently and strategies in place to ensure transition to permanent employment of interns. ends