16 Nov 2023

Government has been urged to expedite the  maintenance of disease control cordon fences due to the current situation, which allows for unrestricted movement of cattle. This poses a significant risk of disease spread, making it essential to take prompt action.

 Failure to do so creates potential for the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), says the Member of Parliament for Serowe South, Mr Leepetswe Lesedi in his response to the State-of-the-Nation Address on Wednesday. 

He said the outbreak of FMD in South Africa was a threat to cattle at Ramatlabama AI Ranch and challenged the relevant ministry to put the necessary measures in place. 

On other issues, MP Lesedi said while Temo Letlotlo was a positive development, youth do not stand to benefit as much as many were without ploughing land. 

Expressing concern at the operational challenges facing the Government Accounting and Budgeting System, Mr Lesedi pleaded with the Ministry of Finance to expedite resolving the situation saying small businesses were the most affected. 

He also touched on developments in his constituency among them road infrastructure and unemployment. 

He said while it had not been clear how government was addressing youth unemployment, the situation deserved urgent attention as it posed a socio-economic threat. 

He said the Mogonye-Mokgware-Serowe road was in bad shape and its importance was overlooked even though it connected most of the farming production areas in the constituency. 

He said the Moiyabana-Kalamare road also required urgent maintenance. 

The MP said residents of villages such as Motshegaletau, Sehunou, Mabuo and Moiyabana were in dire straits and unable to make ends meet as their villages are less developed and had to deal with challenges among other limited water supply. 

Under education, he commended efforts made by teachers in encouraging students to perform better despite the shortage of resources. Ends