19 Jan 2014

Boteti sub district council authorities have been advised to urgently ensure that the council employee currently accommodated at the Remote Area Dwellers (RADS) hostel at Khwee Primary School seeks for alternative accommodation within the community as a matter of urgency.

The issue of a council employee working at the RADS hostel and housed within its dormitory with her family came into light during a kgotla meeting addressed by Boteti South MP, Lebonaamang Mokalake who is also Lands and housing minister at Khwee last week when some of the parents pleaded with council to offer their children accommodation at the RADS hostel. Mr Mokalake said it was not fair for a family to be sharing accommodation with students in a hostel and therefore has to seek for alternative housing within the village.

Some of the parents hinted that they cannot take good care of their children as they spend most of the time at the cattle posts and ranches where they work, while others pleaded for reassessment as they had nothing to offer for their children at home and that they do not even have habitable structure to cater for school going children. They pleaded with council to re-admit their children into the hostel.

One of the residents had asked council to explain the criteria used to offer an employee accommodation within the RADS hostel with her children while some parents whose children are in dire need of such assistance were never considered. Mr Mothusi Molodi concurred with some parents that some of the children who stay on their own have since absconded school to join their parents at cattle posts. Mr Molodi said accommodating students from less developed areas in a hostel could be seen as one of the incentives aimed at encouraging them to attend school.

The Village Development Committee (VDC) Deputy Chairperson further revealed that the employee in question was accommodated into the RADS hostel after she was kicked out of the VDC house for failing to pay monthly rentals. Mr Roger Tauejele said the employee owed the VDC a lot of money as she failed to pay monthly rentals. The PTA Chairman, Mr Omphile Phuti has also appealed for assistance indicating that as school management they have a challenge of students who continually abscond from the hostel. Mr Phuti said parents must work closely with school authorities so that children can feel home while at the hostel.

Responding to the plea from Khwee residents, Assistant Council Secretary, Mr Christopher Maramba said the hostel facility at the village school can only accommodate 240 students from cattle posts and other areas outside the settlement. Regarding the officer accommodated at the hostel, Mr Maramba said the employee was only accommodated temporarily while seeking for alternative accommodation. He said the issue will be fully investigated in order to reach an amicable solution.

Mr Maramba said they will continually investigate why children continue to abscond from hostel with some never coming back. He said the hostel facility is a way of ensuring that children of communities in less developed areas are given an opportunity to stay in an environment conducive for learning. “My hope is to see your children getting education and grow into responsible people in future,” he said.

Mr Maramba also appealed to parents to join hands with school and council authorities as a lot of funds were spent in maintenance as a result of vandalism. As for students absconding from Junior Schools, reasons being that they are admitted at schools far from their parents, the Principal Education Officer II, Mr Phillip Mpho said he was not aware of any Form one student recently admitted at any other school far from Khwee besides Motsumi CJSS at Letlhakane.

Mr Mpho said in the late 90s Form one students from Khwee were admitted at Rakops CJSS and Makgadikgadi CJSS at Mosu after it was realised that they continually abscond from school especially on Fridays while at Motsumi CJSS as it was quite closer to their home village, Khwee. He said of recent all Form 1 students from Khwee are admitted at Motsumi CJSS for their Junior Certificate. ENDS