Africa-Press – Botswana. The over P4 million Tatisiding post office will contribute towards achieving of vision 2036 pillar of sustainable economic development, says Tati East MP, Dr Douglas Letsholathebe.
Speaking at a ground breaking ceremony of the post office in Tatisiding recently, Dr Letsholathebe said the post office project, that included business stalls, would contribute towards local economic development as well as create employment during construction period.
Dr Letsholathebe, who is also minister of Education and Skills Development, said the project was part of the Constituency Community Projects and was implemented in partnership with Botswana Post.
Botswana Post contributed over P2million and the Tati East Constituency Community Project Fund (CCP) also injected P2 million.
The MP said a number of projects had been implemented in Tati Siding under the CCP Fund including the construction of multipurpose hall at a cost of P5 million.
The other project, he stated, was the maintenance of community hall at a cost of over P370 000 and the maintenance of Tatisiding primary school at over P2.4 million.
In addition, the fund also disbursed P1.6 million for the maintenance of school staff houses and a further P1 million for storm water drainage in the village, explained the legislator.
Dr Letsholathebe further said there was also another storm water drainage project in the western part of the village worth P1 million.
The MP also spoke at length about the digitilisation project, which he said was one of the priorities of the Reset Agenda.
He said the post office would have a technology advanced ATM.
Apart from bringing services closer to the people, Dr Letsholathebe said, the project would create employment opportunities as well as skills development amongst the residents.
The MP pleaded with the contractor, Lereka Engineering, to source construction material locally in order to empower local suppliers. He also made a special request to the Tatisiding community to protect and take good care of the facility because it was difficult to source enough funds to undertake major projects such as the envisaged post office.
He advised the North East District Council to make best use of the allocated budget by enforcing project management through intensified project supervision so that the project was completed on time, within budget and specification.
Botswana Post Chief Executive Officer, Mr Cornelius Ramatlhakwane commended Tatisiding community for the post office initiative as this would bring services closer to the people.
“The village was not in the immediate plan for post office development due to unavailability of land and capital for development,” he said noting that Tatisiding community through their village leadership and the village development committees pledged land and capital amounting to P2million through the constituency fund for this development.
Mr Ramatlhakwane said after realising commitment from the constituency, BotswanaPost supplemented the budget with another P2 381 104 to expand the project to what would be termed the Strip Mall Post Office concept.
He said the project, the first of its kind would feature a post office, other outlets for rental, public toilets and a virtual teller machine.
Former North East District Council Chairperson, Mr Kopano Maruping applauded the construction of the post office saying it was high time government speeded up construction of a police station and a bus terminal in the village.
Kgosi Simon Nkgageng of Tatisiding thanked government for the gesture, adding that it was disheartening to see senior citizen getting their dues in Francistown.
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