21 Aug 2019

A number of contentious issues, among them, lack of water and infrastructure developments in the village dominated the Molepolole South political debate held at Kgari Sechele II Senior Secondary School on August 20.

Prospective Parliamentary candidates, Mr Kabo Morwaeng of Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Dr Tlamelo Mmatli of Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Ms Olebeng Tsiane of Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) and Mr

Shima Monageng of Alliance for Progressives (AP) each made their promise to constituents during the  debates.

Mr Morwaeng blamed opposition MPs for rejecting a motion requesting P900 million which was to be used to connect southern villages to the Masama wellfields.

Mr Morwaeng further said once elected, he would address the sewerage system issue to ensure the infrastructure was developed.

He said the BDP had a track record that everyone could see, adding the party was the reason there was peace in the country.

On land issues, he said the BDP manifesto clearly stipulated that allocation of plots would be speeded up.

Mr Morwaeng said his party had also vowed to improve academic performance in schools through reduction of number of leaners per class to 30.

That, he said, would result in construction of additional classrooms and engagement of more teachers hence create employment opportunities.

He also said he would ensure that the village was provided with the police station.

Dr Mmatli, who is also the incumbent MP, urged Molepolole residents to give him another opportunity to continue where he left, saying government had promised to connect the village to the North-South Carrier after a gallant fight he put in Parliament.

He said during the last meeting of Parliament, he was told that government had set aside P600 million to connect Molepolole to the NSC pipeline in Mononyane and the project would start in November.

He said the village did not have a sewerage system which had seen projects shelved and it had also negatively affected investment.

On the police station, the UDC candidate said due to his efforts, it had been included in the current National Development Plan (NDP).

He said the problem over the water crisis was not because of lack of funding but that the funds were not properly utilised.

Mr Monageng said it was disheartening that the most populous and biggest village in the country did not have a sewerage system, which was a stumbling block for Institute of Health Sciences (IHS) to be occupied.

On the Molepolole-Gaborone road A12 highway, he said he would ensure that it was upgraded to a dual carriageway and by-pass the village.

Mr Monageng decried the poor status of internal roads lamenting that small villages in Kweneng had better infrastructure.

BMD candidate, Ms Tsiane said she would advance women empowerment when elected to Parliament.

She also said she was concerned about water, health, education and poor road infrastructure.

She also said the water crisis had hit the village for many years, adding Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) made things worse when it took over from Water Affairs Department.

The BMD candidate also said the current police station was too small to serve a population of 74 000 people.

She also said IHS had turned into a white elephant after the courses it offered were scrapped. ENDS