12 Jun 2025

Member of Parliament for Molepolole North Mr Arafat Khan has encouraged Lesunyane ward residents not to despair despite challenges of water scarcity in the village.

Addressing a kgotla meeting yesterday, Mr Khan said  he had not backtracked on his promise of finding lasting solution to water challenges in the village. He said while water was available in Molepolole, it was not reaching the homesteads as expected due to the old network system which required rehabilitation.

Mr Khan further said he recently met with the Minister of Water and Human Settlements, Mr Onneetse Ramogapi and Water Utilities Corporation to address the water issue. He said the minister promised to work around the clock to seek funds for  the Molepolole water project. Mr Khan promised the residents to bring them a satisfying answer when they meet again in August.

He told residents that the country’s economic outlook  was not satisfactory and might delay fulfilment of promises made by the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) as set out in the manifesto. Nevertheless, he said government had made some strides in fulfilling some of the promises among them the Old Age Pension allowance which was now at P1 400.

Mr Khan further shared that President Advocate Duma Boko recently launched the sanitary pad initiative for school going girl child, while the P300 grant initiative for nursing mothers and new born babies would commence at a date to be communicated. He said the office of the Member of Parliament continues to have initiatives among them, construction of houses for destitute in all the 11 wards in the constituency with the help of donors. Two of the houses have already been handed over through the help of Choppies Supermarket.

Sharing the Village Development Committee report, the deputy chairperson Mr Keabetswe Rantopa urged residents to take responsibility of ensuring a clean Molepolole, a responsibility he said should not be delegated to Ipelegenf workers. He also requested the council to assist in debushing spaces which were now a breeding place for criminal activities.

In his welcome remarks, Kgosi Goabaone Ramatsiripana of Lesunyane ward told the Member of Parliament that they were worried over the behaviour of some students at Kwena Sereto, Motswasele and Sedumedi junior secondary schools. He said teachers lived in fear as the students had turned rebels who also instigated fights among other fellow students. He said another worrying challenge was unemployment which has taken a toll on the youth who were not resorting to illegal activities.

Giving vote of thanks, area councillor Mr Kaone Thebeng said they were committed to serving Batswana. He said the envisaged internal road network project was at design stage and that they were looking forward to its commencement and eventually address the situation of bad roads in Molepolole. ENDS