Lobatse Ghost Town Of Criminals

By Lekopanye Mooketsi
Correspondent | Monday February 5, 2007 00:00

 

Speaking at a Kgotla meeting last week, Kgosi said when the management took the decision, it was never concerned about where the 400 workers were going to stay. He said BMC once told councillors that it intends to demolish the houses and sell the land. However, as far as he is concerned, BMC has not sold the land. He wondered why BMC ordered workers to move out at short notice when they have not been allocated plots. Kgosi said life has become unbearable for the workers after they moved out. Some of them are scattered in places outside Lobatse like Molapowabojang and Kanye and it has become costly to commute to work. He indicated that BMC does not provide transport for the workers who knock off at night.

He said BMC promised to subsidise the workers' rental when they move out but this has not been done. Kgosi said the relocation of the BMC workers has affected other socio-economic activities in the area. He said the enrolment at the nearby Ipeleng Primary School has been reduced because the BMC workers have transferred their children. As a result, four teachers have been transferred from the school. 

He added that a cluster of tuckshops at the main entrance of the camp, have lost business following the relocation. Even other businesses in Lobatse have been affected by the relocation, he said.

The councillor said they recently met with the BMC management to discuss the relocation and they are still waiting for a response. An unidentified BMC worker who spoke at the meeting, said the unoccupied quarters have to be demolished because they are being used as a hide-out by criminals.

Another worker said the former BMC executive chairman, once promised them that they would be allocated plots before they move out. He said the relocation was delayed because the town council had not serviced the plots they were to be allocated. But he said the current executive chairman has never said anything about the plots.

One of the residents, Venolia Nawa said as a big corporation, BMC has a responsibility to look after its workers including providing them with accommodation. She reiterated that the relocation of the BMC workers has affected developments in the area.

The Monitor was told by a BMC senior employee on Friday that the executive chairman, Dr Motshudi Raborokgwe was the only official who could speak on behalf of the company. However, Raborokgwe was not available for comment.