Africa-Press – Botswana. Letlhakane requires a special dispensation development programme to support its growth that is influenced by influx of people seeking employment at the three diamond mines in the area.
Responding to State-Of-the-Nation Address on November 21, Boteti East Member of Parliament, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe said the village was experiencing pressure in areas of health, education and land allocation.
He said the village’s primary hospital and the two clinics were stretched by the increased population. He added that the waiting list for people seeking residential plots was also sky rocketing.
As such Mr Lelatisitswe appealed to the Ministry of Lands and Water Affairs to double efforts and view places like Letlhakane as special cases when allocating land. He added that his constituency had a challenge of marginalised groups of people, who for many years had been staying at cattle posts without land in gazetted places such as Letlhakane.
Of recent, Mr Lelatisitswe said most of them have been relocating to Letlhakane thus resorting to illegal occupation of land on the outskirts of the village in locations such as Motlhabeng, Phase 1, and Tawana Extension.
He said that denied them access to basic needs such as water, electricity and to qualify for government social programmes.
Additionally, Mr Lelatisitswe said the residents of Makgaba, a settlement that was gazetted some few years ago were likely to miss out on the newly launched Temo Letlotlo arable farming programme as they were yet to be allocated ploughing fields.
He therefore, urged government to attend to the residents’ plea as a matter of urgency.
On the human-wildlife conflict, MP Lelatisitswe said Boteti East was equally affected by the influx of elephants. He said farmers in the villages of Mmatshumu, Mosu, Makgaba, Mokubilo and Mmeya were not able to enjoy their harvest, due to elephants destroying their fields.
He therefore, asked government to ensure that a quarter of the 8 000 elephants that had been donated to Angola be taken from the thousands that had relocated to Boteti. Updating on the constituency development agenda, Mr Lelatisitswe was concerned by the status of the three main gravel roads, being the 41km Mmatshumo-Mosu road, 18km Mokubilo-Mmeya road and the 61km Letlhake-Khwee road.
Mr Lelatisitswe said upgrading of Letlhakane-Khwee road would also cater for farmers in the Sandveld and Kaka ranches, as production areas for livestock farming.
He also welcomed the proposed upgrading of 25km internal roads in Letlhakane with storm water drainage system and street lights.
Mr Lelatisitswe also said the new deal between government and De Beers was a ray of hope for communities of localities such as Boteti.
He applauded Lucara Diamond Company through Karowe Diamond Mine for constructing a stadium in Letlhakane.
For More News And Analysis About Botswana Follow Africa-Press
