31 Aug 2025

The ongoing refurbishment of Ikago School of Industry, which started on July 23, is scheduled to be complete on September 20.

The P4.5 million project awarded to KeboHoldings entails among other things, maintenance of three staff houses as well as renovation of hostels, administration block, guard house, parking area, walk ways and workshops.

Speaking during a tour of the school in Molepolole recently, Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education, Ms Nono Kgafela-Mokoka said once completed, the centre would play an important role on children with conflict with the law as it would offer them opportunity to pursue their dreams. 

The decision to transfer children in conflict with the law from prisons to Ikago Centre was made in line with the Presidential Directive CAB 18 (A)/2025. This move, Minister Kgafela-Mokoka said, came in handy as the children would be attended to by different professionals and addressed underlying conditions, which they were facing.

She therefore said the running of the school required all stakeholders to work together for a common purpose of rebuilding child offenders. The school, she said, offered an integrated programme where child offenders could relearn, rebuild and became what they wanted to be.

Even though those children broke the law, she said they deserved an opportunity to a better future as some may have committed offenses due to underlying circumstances that must be addressed. The Minister said the ministry had observed that many of such children grew up in violent environments and they also displayed violent behaviours. 

Some she said lacked fatherly role model figures, developed anger and resentful attitudes. Therefore, she said the school would serve to close the gap through different professionals among them probational psychologists, social workers and teachers as the school would have an academic unit, vocational training and other industrial skills.

She said the ministry would work in collaboration with that of Justice and Correctional Services, Botswana Police Service and Botswana Defence Force to ensure the children were given an opportunity to learn and pursue their desired dreams.

Giving an overview of the project, the Acting Director of Procurement and Project Management, Mr Cosmetic Molebatsi said the 60-day maintenance contract also included the resurrection of the perimeter fence and sewerage system. He said the project would also cover installation of solar powered lights to act as backup during power cuts and CCTV cameras to enhance security within the institution.

Lephaleng Ward Councillor, Mr Motlhatlhobi Leselamose said maintenance of the centre was a welcome development to the residents of Molepolole as they had been worried about the status of the facility. Mr Leselamotse said the school would now be put to good use. He further thanked the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education for the programme, which encompassed integration programme for child offenders giving them an opportunity to learn and rebuild their lives. ENDS