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24 May 2023

Moeti ward councillor, Ms Botshelobokae Ramasu has expressed concern about some parents who are involved in drug dealings as a way to survive.

Ms Ramasu warned such parents, who are mostly women,  during a kgotla meeting to stop the practice, saying there were many opportunities they could tap into to earn a living rather than drug peddling.

She said some children were introduced to drugs at an early age by the availability of the substance within homesteads.  

She said some of the peddlers gave their children the drugs to sell at schools while some sold to children within the community. 

Ms Ramasu further noted that some women had become reliant on the income of the drugs to finance their lifestyle while some claimed that the sale of drugs was a solution to eradicate hunger and poverty in their homes.

She implored such parents to stop destroying the future of children adding that many substance abusing children  experienced mental health problems. 

“We should make it our responsibility to educate our children about drug abuse prevention at an early age, in an effort to help fight the issue of drug abuse in the community. You should also stop making a hustle through selling of drugs because there are many piece jobs you can tap into to make ends meet,” she stressed.

Parents were urged to teach their children about the dangers of drugs and motivate them to focus on their studies to have a bright future instead of destroying them with drugs. 

On other issues, the area councillor appreciated the cooperation and team work amongst residents, noting that they had revived the spirit of community development. 

Ms Ramasu appreciated the residents’ decision to reignite the spirit of self-reliance in an effort to reduce over dependence on  the government, noting that they stood up for the advancement of their children’s education.  

She said the residents decided to construct an assembly point shelter at Boyei Primary School to provide a conducive learning environment for pupils especially during harsh weather conditions. 

The council, she said, had drawn a plan of the structure and currently the community was appealing for financial support to augment their budget.  

She said residents had contributed P100 each so that the village development committee could buy a big tent that could be used by members of the community during funerals.

Ms Ramasu said families used to borrow the tents from Botswana Defence Force, adding ‘we have find it fit to have our own tent in times of need’. 

The spirit of self-reliance, she said, had always been part and parcel of the country’s culture, adding that due to financial constraints, government sometimes failed to deliver desired projects on time.   ENDS