19 Jun 2025

Artesia residents have been implored to brace themselves for the hatchery project envisaged for their village.

During a consultative meeting on Tuesday, Kgatleng West MP, Dr Unity Dow said while the project was set to change their lives through job creation, the community should also anticipate potential social and environmental challenges.

In that regard, she called on residents to embrace the investment, but to also accept both the positive and negative outcomes that may arise from the development.

Dr Dow emphasised the importance of community involvement in the project that is destined to employ about 200 people.

She called on residents to ensure that its implementation was successful and nevertheless cautioned residents that skills shortages might force investors to import labour outside the country or village, a situation she said was likely to cause discontent among locals.

“You should be in a position to embrace yourselves for anything that comes with this project,” she said.

Dr Dow further thanked community for electing her as their MP, and encouraged them to keep in contact with the constituency office in Mochudi to voice out their grievances.

She said while she would be consulting them through kgotla meetings, sometimes they should reach out to the office for quick solutions.

Dr Dow called on government department to do cyclic maintenance of buildings, which some were reported to be infested with bats.

She warned residents to be patient with some developments earmarked for the village for NDP 12 as government was moving towards implementing the National Transformation Strategy this October.

She said the newly elected government was currently continuing implementation of Transitional National Development Plan (TNDP) until October in order to pave way for the National Development Plan (NDP) 12 that should align with the cycle of Parliament, hence some development projects were affected.

About the Community Constituency Projects, Dr Dow urged she said advised them to start brainstorming about projects they wished for their area.

She also informed them that government was working with water tight budget, hence they should brace themselves for hard times ahead.

Kgosi George Thwane of Artesia lamented poor harvest for 2025 due to heavy downpours that affected the crops as well as poor results at the junior secondary school. 

He proposed that government should work towards improving breakthrough of children at primary schools, which he said was the main cause for poor performance at secondary schools. Kgosi Thwane also briefed MP about some developments in the village, including a police station, which he said would be handy in fighting crime in the village and surrounding settlements.

Village Development Committee (VDC) chairperson, Mr Kelebonye Ntwaagae called for solar tower lights and street lights to help in fighting crime in the village. 

He said the VDC had plans to build a market for small entrepreneurs so that they could be managed from one place.

He also decried shortage of accommodation for public officers. 

Residents called for a resident doctor at a local clinic as the one who visited the village once a week was unable to assist all patients.

Area Councillor, Mr Kabelo Reetsang called on government to intervene in fixing a local over spilling borehole that has become a crime haven for cattle rustlers. ENDS