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.
