A microcosm of skewed distribution policies

| Friday September 3, 2010 00:00

MATSITAMA: In the absence of a bus to Matsitama village, I embark on the Francistown-Orapa one. We leave at 11.30am but have to turn back before reaching the traffic circle near Thapama Hotel because of an impossible traffic jam.

We are soon out of Francistown through the alternative route that passes by Jubilee Hospital. My visit to Matsitama is motivated by the imminent by-election on September 4.  Besides an odd BDP, BCP or BMD T-shirt on some individuals - even Ipelegeng labourers - in the intervening villages, there is no sign that I am approaching a political battlefield. Other than the smattering of cattle chewing cud, it is drab. Even if they had the right of veto, the poor animals would probably abstain because whichever of the two candidates wins, their 'destiny' is in the pot.

There is no public transport from the junction to Matsitama, which is 11 kilometres from the Francistown-Orapa Road. I wait at the junction with three fellow hikers for about 30 minutes. One of them, clearly inebriated, has issues with the Matsitama chief with whom he is angry because of the kgosi's attempt to ban the sale of khadi in the village. Whereupon the first sign that we are about to enter a political battlefield emerges.

Two motor vehicles full of BCP activists arrive from Matsitama. They make a brief stop at the junction where the passengers buy refreshments and greet everyone warmly. Although there are no homesteads in sight, the BCP squad leaves its vehicles and disappears into the thick woods, to mount a house-to-house campaign. This particular team is from far away Ngami, and is here for the day to participate in the BCP campaign for Tonota North.

A few minutes later, a van draped in Botswana Democratic Party posters arrives, also from the direction of Matsitama and drops some people off at the junction. As soon as it makes a U-turn back to Matsitama, one of my fellow hikers hails the driver to give us a lift 'because we are BDP. We don't like the BCP'. The driver is a BDP councillor, I discover later. Now safely in the van and out of earshot of the sensitive politicians, we enjoy unfettered freedom of expression.

By the time we reach Matsitama, two of the total of four passengers have made it clear that they will not vote on Saturday. Infact, the first to express his disdain for politics and politicians is the man who earlier proclaimed his loyalty to the BDP in eloquent terms when we desperately needed a lift.

The drunken man who is angry with the chief for wanting to stop the sale of khadi in Matsitama says he is so disgusted by the way BDP and BCP politicians abuse one another verbally at the freedom squares that he will stay away from the polls in protest. The only woman among us tries to encourage the two men to vote, but could as well be howling in the wind.

The village of Matsitama is about 100 kilometres from Francistown and with a population of less than 2,000, this backwater village has all the hallmarks of poverty. While the road from Francistown to Orapa is tarred, the 11-kilometre stretch to the village is not and it  becomes impassable in the wet season.

This originally Basarwa settlement started in 1968 before a host of other tribes settled here. The settlement served neighbouring communities, as a source of cheap labour. More than 40 years on, the village remains desolate. Its children, because of lack of educational and training opportunities, continue to provide cheap labour to the mines and the cattle barons in the region.

Except for a newly opened mine nearby, there are no industries here. The only economic activity in the village is the famine relief programme, Ipelegeng. Matsitama has only one primary school and a health post. The health post, which is manned by one nurse, does not open on weekends, compelling the sick to go to Marapong.

Commenting on the health crisis in their village, three youths, Tebelelo Macheke, Oiketile Golelamang and Tshiamo Lemoga say cleaners are often made to take patients' temperature and even help the nurse with prescriptions when she is overwhelmed. They are also worried that the much-vaunted youth schemes have not benefited them here. They say lack of information is a major problem. According to them, the Botswana Daily News, which is the only source of news besides Radio Botswana and Btv, does not come regularly.

There are very few brick-and-mortar houses in Matsitama, the majority being mud huts. Too much drinking is reportedly a contributory factor to the widespread poverty of the village.

People who work in the few shops that have managed to remain in business due to shortage of patronage spend most of the time alone and are happy to chat with the occasional customer.

The Kgosi, Reuben Ketlhobogile, has been in that position for seven years. He says one of the challenges faced by his village is unreliability of the water supply because of the constant breakdown of the borehole engines and bursting pipes. He is hoping that with the imminent takeover by Water Utilities Corporation, things will change for the better.

The problem of unemployment is also a major concern to the kgosi. He is happy that the Thakadu copper mine employs some of the youth. Crime, especially burglary and stocktheft, is rampant in Matsitama, according to Kgosi Ketlhobogile. The Kgosi reveals that before the recession, from the Orapa road to the Maun road through Lepashe and Mosetse was to be tarred, a project that included the building of bridges across the Mosupe and Lepashe rivers. The Tribal Administration Offices were also to be upgraded. Kgosi hopes a fully-fledged clinic will be built once the recession has past.

The main road is aligned with electricity poles. The Kgosi reveals that before the end of this year, electricity will have come to Matsitama. Currently, the main source of energy is firewood. Because electricity promotes efficiency in production, it has the potential to attract investors to Matsitama. They see rural development as a vehicle to a major improvement in their living standards. Economic development could come in the form of irrigation farming, leading to agro-based industries. Tribalism is a burning issue in this village. Twenty-four year old Phetogo Kealebale suspects the government sidelines the village because it is home to Basarwa who, she argues, are looked down upon. Baletheleng Nkalotseng (44) agrees with Kealebale that the people of Masitama are victims of tribalism.

Commenting on the visit by President Ian Khama to his kgotla recently, Kgosi Ketlhobogile also alludes to tribalism. He says the President, who came to the Matsitama Kgotla with politicians, cannot arrive at any other kgotla unannounced and that Khama did that here simply because the kgosi is a Mosarwa. He condemns the visit.

Matsitama is a microcosm of Botswana's skewed distribution of wealth, especially between rural and urban areas. A 1994 UN report said Botswana had the highest degree of inequality in income distribution in the entire world. Without adequate educational infrastructure, villages like Matsitama will find it difficult to move out of the doldrums.

On my return trip, I get a ride from a man who cannot vote in the by-election because he comes from a different constituency, but whose sympathy lies with Dr Habaudi Hobona of the BCP.

On the bus from Orapa the driver boasts that he has seven wives and more than 20 children who will all vote for Fidelis Molao of the BDP. So confident is he that Molao will win that he challenges anyone who disagrees to give him their cellphone number so that he may call to say 'I told you' on September 5. Only one person obliges.