09 Jan 2014

Shortage of transport in the Shoshong constituency has been labeled as a major hindrance to service delivery.

Chiefs in the constituency told the area MP, Mr Phillip Makgalemele that their respective villages did not have a “one vehicle initiative per village” as should be the case. Kgosi Kgotlayame Ntshayakgosi of Tobela said shortage and lack of transport affected productivity within the various government departments.

Kgosi Ntshayakgosi said government vehicles that were to be used at the kgotlas had been boarded since and they were never replaced, whereas some had been long gone for repairs at Central Transport Organisation and they were not given updates of the progress or lack thereof on such vehicles.

He said most villages did not have ambulances yet they were far from referral hospitals. That puts the lives of sick people in danger as they might lose their lives while still scavenging for vehicles to assist. He said it was a heartening situation, in that sometimes there would be no vehicle available in the village to assist especially in regard to helping carry sick persons.

He requested that there be a single vehicle per village to assist in such matters. Sharing the same sentiments, Kgosi Moathodi Seleka of Poloka village was of the view that there should at least be one vehicle per village especially considering the bad roads.

He said the roads were not in a good condition as they were also not graded and that negatively affects the situation when it is private vehicle owners who are assisting. In response, the Member of Parliament said he had initially requested the Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr Nonofo Molefhi to declare shortage of transport a national crisis within government.

He said the answer was that there is no shortage of transport within the government, instead, there is no proper allocation and management of vehicles by the departments. Mr Makgalemele said he however, was going to take the matter further because the lives of the people especially in the rural areas suffer the consequences. ENDS