18 Feb 2025

The chairperson of Palapye District Council, Mr Kabo Ketshogile has revealed his roadmap, marking the opening of the first session of the ordinary full council meeting.

Mr Ketshogile expressed a desire to lead a district which engaged directly with community members. He therefore brought to the councilors a proposal to implement the “Taking Council To The People Initiative’’.

He said this initiative would be realised through Rotatory Mobile District Full Council sessions in which the District Full Council sessions will be held in selected villages outside Palapye so that the communities could get to appreciate their work rather than in the traditional council chamber.

Mr Ketshogile said for too long council sessions were held in chambers and there was a void and disconnection from the daily lives of the people they represented.

“While these sessions serve their purpose, we must acknowledge that many residents in our villages, particularly in rural areas, often face barriers to participate - whether it’s due to distance, time constraints, or simply the formality of traditional council meetings,” he said.

Mr Ketshogile said he believed in the importance of listening, engaging, and being present where the residents are, especially in their villages, neighbourhoods, on the streets, and in their homes. He said this was what motivated him to propose this initiative, which he believed was in line with the ideals of his ministry of taking government closer to its people.

He said, this initiative was aimed at decentralising local governance, making it more inclusive and responsive to the needs of the people regardless of their location.

Taking the district meetings to the villages would give residents an opportunity to appreciate first-hand how decisions in their district are made and directly interact with them, which would ultimately foster the spirit of transparency and accountability, which they so much subscribed to as a district, he said.

He said the initiative would help them to better understand unique challenges faced by their local communities leading to more informed and relevant policy making. He said on the same breath it would provide councillors with a platform to address specific issues unique to their villages that might be overlooked in the dispensation of their normal full council sittings.

“During the roll out of the initiative, we will be in liaison with the village leadership of those identified villages to prepare for our council sittings to convene at our local kgotla shelters, community halls and any other designated place that has the capacity to do so,’’ he said.

Mr Ketshogile also proposed the establishment of the Council Chairman’s Fund, which he said would significantly impact the community’s growth and well-being.

He said one of the greatest challenges in local governance was ensuring availability of resources to address the diverse and immediate needs of the community, be it funding for urgent infrastructure repairs, supporting local small businesses, enhancing public services, or addressing unforeseen emergencies.

He said the proposed Chairman’s Fund would provide a flexible, immediate source of funding that could be allocated to vital community projects, support local organisations, or address urgent needs as they arise.

“My intention is for this Fund to serve as a bridge between the council’s long-term planning and the immediate needs of our electorate,” he said.

Mr Ketshogile said this initiative was not about his leadership alone but it was about a collective effort and a reflection of their shared values and the vision they had for their community. He said by establishing the Chairman’s Fund, they were taking proactive steps towards becoming a more responsive and responsible council, one that was always ready to meet the needs of their people.

Mr Ketshogile said he would work closely with councilors and community representatives to define the specifics of how this Fund would be administered and to ensure that it was used in the most efficient and effective way. ENDS