Pilikwe residents go to court to block radioactive facility

Gasebalwe Seretse | Thursday May 22, 2014 16:56

The decision comes after government ignored protests from the residents who rejected the facility saying it should be constructed elsewhere.

Speaking at a Kgotla meeting in the village on Monday, Dr Sebusang Sebusang, a member of the Pilikwe task force, which represents the community on the matter said the government has been served with court papers. “Our lawyers have already served the government with the necessary legal documents and we are awaiting their response,” he said.

He pleaded with the people to contribute funds to sponsor the case, warning that the village is faced with an uphill battle because lawyers are costly. “It was agreed in this Kgotla that every family should contribute a minimum of P500, but the money is not forthcoming. In order to take this case further, we need to prepare ourselves financially,” he said.  Sebusang explained that the major contention is that the government failed to properly consult with the people of Pilikwe and neighbouring villages before deciding to construct the storage facility. He reiterated that one of the things that worry the people of Pilikwe is the proximity of the proposed facility to the village. He said the site chosen to construct the storage is in the only direction in which the village can easily grow.

Another member of the task force, Kagiso Tshukudu emphasised the importance of raising funds for the case as the lawyers have already been instructed. “Our lawyers have been hard at work building up our case so we need to raise money so that we manage to properly pay them,” he said.

Although government has been mum about the progress of the proposed project, some villagers at the Kgotla meeting reported suspicious activities around the site of late.

The village is presently involved in another tussle over the running and ownership of the Bamangwato Development Association (BDA), which was started by the late Kgosi Tshekedi Khama. 

The village chief, Bokopano Koodibetse has repeatedly declined to comment on both matters.