Borolong has exigent problems

PINI BOTHOKO
Correspondent | Friday April 27, 2012 00:00

This happened at a Kgotla meeting addressed by the Deputy District Commissioner, Khumo Keeng, and the Senior Assistant Council Secretary of Tonota Sub-district Council, Terence Ntalabgwe, on Tuesday.

The councillor for Borolong/Chadibe, Jabulani Vuke said the failure of the council had affected his relationship with the people he represented. 'Last time the education department was here, people said the issue of another primary school  being built here should be taken to Parliament by the MP Fidelis Molao because the Ministry of Education had long had the issue and should not talk about it as if it is new,' said Vuke.

When welcoming the guests, Kgosi Israel Molema of Borolong said shortage of water in the village was a huge problem, as was overcrowding at Borolong Primary School.  'The school has admitted more students than was expected,' he said. 'About six classes attend lessons under a tree while winter is approaching the children will suffer. Please have mercy and help them because this unpleasant situation has been with us for years.'

Kgosi Molema noted that more people from Francistown were settling in his village, making the need for another primary school and other facilities more urgent. 'The population of the village is growing at a high rate,' he said.

'Being just 20km from Francistown, people were relocating from the expensive city to Borolong and other neighbouring villages.'  He said their health post was also overcrowded and was understaffed, which was not conducive to health. 'Borolong is a service centre, but you cannot believe it from looking at the slow rate of development in the village,' he pointed out. 'Villages like Makobo, Natale, Chadibe and Shashemooke are serviced by nurses from our health post.'  Kgosi Molema said the roads needed to be regularly graded. 'The dust clouds raised by cars blind our vision, which can be dangerous, especially to children,' he said.

In response, the Deputy District Commissioner, Keeng sought to assure the people of Borolong that they were not being neglected. The problem is that they are many villages in their district that competed for meagre resources.

'I am from a meeting at Chadibe,' he said. 'They were furious like you. What I am asking is of you is to be patient and calm so that your problems may be addressed.  'I know that for the past weekend, there was no water in your village. But it was because of a broken pipe from Shashe Dam.'  The Senior Assistant Council Secretary, Ntalabgwe said if money was available, another primary school would be built tomorrow.'

He said roads in the middle of the village had been graded, but some of them had proved too narrow for the grader. 'We will visit more often so that you can always tell us about issues concerning your village and address them in time,' Ntalabgwe said. Commenting from the floor, Mogomotsi Thumba said the situation at the village's only primary school was urgent.

'I know it will take time for another school to be built,' he said, 'but I think you could build shacks for the children to attend classes while waiting for another school to be built, ' Thumba said. The chairman of the Village Development Committee, Chakanungwa Madzonga, said they needed a rubbish dumping site for Borolong and houses for three destitute persons.

'There are three destitute persons whom we have brought to the attention of the social worker,' Madzonga said.

'It is our responsibility to meet the Vision 2016 pillar of being a just, compassionate and caring nation.'