Why bother to vote, Phikwe asks

Selebi-Phikwe is on its knees PIC: KEOAGILE BONANG
Selebi-Phikwe is on its knees PIC: KEOAGILE BONANG

SELEBI-PHIKWE: The unimpressive voter registration numbers here are hardly surprising as the north-eastern town enters its third year of economic collapse, amidst the explosion of social ills such as crime and overall despondency.

Phikwe continues to battle the lingering ghost-town status brought on by the October 2016 closure of its economic mainstay, BCL Mine. While the Independent Electoral Commission is still fine-tuning the count, officials have already confirmed that voter registrations are drastically down in Selebi-Phikwe.

“During our meetings with them, some of the residents told us they could not register because they were not sure they would still be in Phikwe next year (during the general elections),” says IEC election officer, Sadie Ontiretse.

Editor's Comment
A promising step for public schools, but...

For too long, the state of many public schools has been a source of shame. We have all seen the pictures and heard the stories of broken windows, unreliable water and electricity, topped by classrooms that are not fit for proper learning. The establishment of the Education Infrastructure and Management Company Ltd (EIMC) signals that authorities are finally ready to take this problem seriously. We must commend the government for this initiative....

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