A long walk to school

MASUNGA: "Our society is unequal in so many ways, but perhaps, one of the most obvious is the huge gap that exists in how the children of the wealthy and the poor commute to school," says Glenn Ashton, a social commentator.

The issue of ease of access becomes even more poignant when comparison is made between the rural and urban dwellers.  While children in the towns walk much shorter distances, those in the villages cover long distances to school. The differences that exist between how the children of the poor and those of the rich get to school reflect the social and economic disparities that exist between the "haves" and "have-nots". In other words, whether the child commutes on foot, donkey cart, bicycle, family car, contracted or public transport will always be consistent with the domestic economy of the particular family. The quality of the mode of transport and its mechanical condition is also a statement on the people concerned.

While Botswana has made admirable development strides since independence, it is worth noting that rural development is less than impressive especially in terms of infrastructure.

Editor's Comment
Inspect the voters' roll!

The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...

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