04 Sep 2024

A fully-fledged district in the Tswapong area will be considered with other needs across the country during the 12^th  National Development Plan (NDP 12).

This was said by Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Honourable Setlhabelo Modukanele when responding to a parliamentary question on Tuesday.

Mr Modukanele said all-encompassing consultations and strategic engagements with relevant stakeholders were ongoing and would be done accordingly.

The assistant minister noted that residents in the Tswapong area currently accessed services at Sefhare and Lerala service centres, Mahalapye and Palapye districts.

On one hand, Mr Modukanele told Parliament that decentralisation by nature was a process which of necessity involved extensive consultations of all and sundry.

He indicated that in 2022, government upgraded the then existing sub-districts bringing the number of fully fledged districts to 31. “This phase one of the process was done after consultations and engagement.

 Currently, as phase two of the decentralisation process, assessments are ongoing to establish other districts in areas where residents still have to travel long distances to access services,” he said.

Sefhare/Ramokgonami MP, Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang had asked the minister to appraise Parliament on consultations regarding the establishment of a fully-fledged district in the Tswapong area.

Dr Gobotswang had wanted the minister to specifically state the nature and character of consultations undertaken so far and reasons for the consultation strategy adopted and whether such a strategy had previously been used under similar circumstances.

He also wanted to know whether the minister intended to consult elected representatives in the area; and whether there were plans to consult affected communities. Ends