14 Oct 2024

The opening of the newly refurbished Lerala Post Office and brand new Ratholo Post Office is a testament to the government’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that no citizen, regardless of where they live, is left behind in the journey towards development.

Officially opening Lerala Post Office and Ratholo Post Office recently, the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Setlhabelo Modukanele, said the achievements were not just about the construction of buildings but a step forward in empowering rural communities and strengthening the vital services that connect people across the country. 

He said the Ratholo Post Office, while newly constructed, represented a strategic relocation from the nearby village of Moeng in response to increasing demand from the people of Ratholo.

He said the relocation demonstrated BotswanaPost’s commitment to providing services where they were most needed. “By moving this facility to Ratholo, the BotswanaPost has shown its responsiveness to community needs, ensuring that postal, financial and other essential services are closer to the people who rely on them the most,’’ he said.

He commended the BotswanaPost board of directors, management, and staff for their dedication and tireless efforts in delivering such essential infrastructure.

He noted that the opening of the facilities formed part of BotswanaPost’s strategic objective of ensuring that postal and financial services were accessible to all no matter how remote.

The establishment of the post offices reflect a key element of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development’s mission of ensuring that the benefits of development reach every village, town and city in Botswana.

Mr Modukanele said his ministry was proud to work with organisations such as the BotswanaPost that aligned themselves with the government’s broader goals, including the Reset Agendas, which emphasised citizen empowerment and sustainable growth.

He said the addition of the refurbished post office in Lerala was a tangible reflection of these principles.

Through the provision of postal services, financial inclusion and technological innovations, they are narrowing the gap between rural and urban areas offering equal opportunities to all Batswana, he said.

“As government, we understand that rural development is key to national prosperity and we applaud BotswanaPost for their efforts in contributing to this goal,’’ he said.

He said in a rapidly evolving world, access to services such as digital banking, e-commerce and logistics was no longer a luxury but a necessity and these services were part and parcel of those offered by the post with recent additions such as Posa’it, which is the flagship super App that provides key digital postal services.

Mr Modukanele said the facilities would serve as a critical link in providing these services to the people of Lerala and Ratholo and surrounding areas, connecting them to the rest of the country and the world.

He acknowledged the financial constraints that the BotswanaPost continues to face and commended the organisation for its ingenuity in overcoming these challenges.

“Their success in delivering critical infrastructure with limited access to the National Development Plan funding speaks volumes about their leadership, commitment and resourcefulness,’’ he said.

He stated that the government had prioritised the development of key infrastructure in rural areas because it is believed that no community should be isolated from the benefits of economic growth.

BotswanaPost board chairperson, Mr Nathan Kgabi, said with the two developments, they looked to enhance service delivery in the area along standards they envisioned to be in line with world standards.

He said in extension, through smart partnerships and digital diversification, the pool of services had also significantly increased making the post a one-stop-shop.

Mr Kgabi pointed out that not only the product offering had been extended, but also the reach and turnaround times vastly improved by the investment in the expansion of their digital services platforms for example, self-service platforms, super App (Posa’it), Virtual Teller Machines, Virtual Post Box (connecting cellphone to mail). ENDS