Opposition dwells on health issues at Mokobaxane

CHAKALISA DUBE
Staff Writer | Tuesday February 28, 2012 00:00

Addressing a rally to endorse the council candidate for the Botswana National Front (BNF), Obonye Lobang, over the weekend, Modubule said the government had failed even to equip the local health post adequately. Lobang is running against Sidney Botsile of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in a by-election here on March 10 in a ward that fell vacant when Councillor Galesebiwe Gaothuswe of the BDP died late last year. Modubule, who is also the chairman of the Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD), said because the health post was poorly equipped, Makobaxane residents have to travel long distances to access health at Mopipi and Rakops.

'A couple of patients even died while waiting to be transferred because there is no transport but the government is still doing little to improve the situation,' he said. 'It is surprising that this should happen to people who are surrounded by mines.' Modubule noted that some patients ended up missing follow-up visits and absconding from treatment because they could not afford the cost of travelling. Apart from Ipelegeng, there were no jobs and meaningful economic activity in the village, he added. The situation was exacerbated by the practice of giving jobs to people from outside the Boteti region at nearby mines.

Crime and other anti-social behaviour among the youth resulted from this practice. The Lobatse legislator also pointed to poor roads and the state of disrepair at the local primary school as typical of the ruling party.

'You also do not have easy access to clean water and rely on supplies from neighbouring villages,' Modubule noted.

'To show lack of commitment by the government, one company donated a borehole engine to the government three years ago. To-date, the borehole has not started operating but no explanation has been offered.'  These were cogent reasons why the people of Makobaxane should vote for the BNF candidate in the by-election, he said.

The message was reinforced by BNF president, Duma Boko, who said his party would ensure that the village benefited from the surrounding mines.