25 Sep 2024

The construction of a new primary school in Kopong is evidence that government remains committed to developing Batswana, especially those in rural areas.

Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony of the school, to be the third in the village, Acting President, Mr Slumber Tsogwane said rural development had been among government’s top priorities as it helped to uplift the communities as well as create employment opportunities.

Mr Tsogwane added that the project would also help to curb rural-urban migration, saying over time, some rural areas had become either peri-urban or urban as in the case of Maun due to developments in the area.

He said government’s development programme was however affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as funds earmarked for projects were channelled towards fighting against the disease.

“After the pandemic, a new era emerged as the President, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi launched the Reset and Reclaim Agenda which aims to take the country to a high income level by 2036 and there was need for increased economic growth to an annual average of six per cent,” he said.

He noted that the construction of the school followed the ground breaking of two primary schools in Molepolole recently.

“This is not by accident as population in Kweneng has grown.

Education remains a priority and government will not only provide facilities but is committed to providing quality education,” he added.

He indicated that the new state-of-the-art school was a 24-stream facility with teachers’ housing units.

“This school will address overcrowding in other schools and government will continue to monitor the situation,” he said.

He further said Kopong had become a catchment area for Gaborone and therefore it had witnessed an increase in learners’ population.

Through the project,  he said, government was also creating a conducive environment not only for leaners, but teachers and the community.

He added that the construction of the school would also stimulate the village economic activity through employment opportunities, adding they would ensure that there was compliance with the relevant Acts and policies to ensure that citizens benefitted.

Furthermore, he said the Development Manager (DM) model adopted by government to implement development projects throughout the country, was highly effective, subsequently requiring the appointed DM to deliver quality projects on time and on budget.

Earlier when welcoming guests, Kgosi Michael Molefe of Kopong said their dreams had been turned into reality as they had been waiting for the school for many years.

“This will help alleviate congestion at Molefe and Letsholo primary schools and further, learners will not need to travel to nearby villages for education,” he said. ENDS