Africa-Press – Botswana. Residents of Lorolwane and Gasita villages have been urged to turn their area into an agricultural hub.
Addressing kgotla meetings in Lorolwane and Gasita on January 6, Member of Parliament for Mmathethe/ Molapowabojang, Dr Edwin Dikoloti said the area had the potential to feed the nation and contribute to the national economy.
Dr Dikoloti also urged them to make use of all available government programmes to improve farming in the area and therefore should regularly visit agriculture offices for advice.
He explained that it was government’s aim to improve local livestock breeds, as witnessed by President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s efforts of securing semen from different countries to be used for artificial insemination.
“Improved breed will attract high prices in the market, hence enough profits to better our lives and eventually contributing to the economy,” he said.
On one hand, Dr Dikoloti donated potato and maize seeds to all who attended meetings, adding “you have to plant potatoes as a pilot project and if you do well, you will find ways to expand production.”
He shared the villagers’ concerns about the bad state of Selokolela-Lorolwane road and he told them that he had engaged relevant authorities to re-gravel the road as the rain had washed away the top soil.
Due to limited funds, he said government had to prioritise roads to be attended to first, saying “however once the area turn into an agricultural hub, the ministry responsible for roads would then be forced consider the road as one of their top priorities.”
On paving of internal roads and other local projects, Dr Dikoloti encouraged residents to carry out such jobs, noting that it would improve local economies.
“All material needed to carry out such projects have to be provided by locals as well as construction and that would be jobs created for the youth,” he said.
He further informed residents that Botswana was hailed by the international community for the successful fight against COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS and government would not have achieved that without cooperation of citizens.
“I therefore thank you for having played a crucial part in helping the government in such fights,” he said.
Briefing the area MP, Lorolwane Village Development Committee (VDC) chairperson, Mr Borethe Kgakalo expressed concerned about the bad state of Selokolela-Lorolwane roads, which he said made their daily lives difficult.
“That road connects us with areas such as Kanye where we get most of our services, but due to its state it becomes difficult for us to access such services. Our vehicles get broken within a short period of time,” he said.
He also informed the MP of projects that took time to be completed, such as the hall which had been under construction for a long time, adding they missed out on funds that could be generated through it.
Mr Kgakalo however thanked the area MP for different ongoing and completed projects in the village such as a clinic, for which Dr Dikoloti had secured funds from a private funder.
Kanye Administrative Authority chairperson, Mr Simon Ramaphoi informed residents that delayed projects were mostly due companies awarded jobs as well as other unforeseen circumstances, such as breakdown of vehicles carrying material.
Regarding the bad state of the road, he said council machines used for grading the road had broken down, adding however that plans were underway to re-gravel it.
Mr Ramaphoi urged residents to take farming seriously, noting that government was spending a lot of money to grow the sector, further highlighting that it was time the nation fed itself.
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