One and half years after its founding, Gabane Village’s pressure group, Develop Gabane Campaign (DGC), was officially launched last week. The Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) was formed to address underdevelopment challenges in the village.
The well-attended event was held at the village’s main kgotla. Speakers during the event motivated the NGO’s committee members to be patient and exercise diligence in executing their challenging tasks. First to take the podium was Tefo Kgosithebe, Patron for Bana Ba Pelo, a newly formed pressure group from Sefhophe Village in Central District.
“I have just heard the Director of Ceremonies being peevish about unsatisfying attendance. I wish to advise all present here that it is to the best interest of the organisation’s save take-off, if participation is by fewer membership and attendance. Let’s peruse through history records and we will agree that many milestones have been achieved by initially one man’s show initiatives.
Hitler’s dogma transformed Germany. Only three people’s creed transformed the Middle East. The list can go on and on,” Kgosithebe said.
He reminded them that he who lives by the sword dies by the sword. That if anyone envies the committee’s positions and uses backstabbing tactics to obtain such, then he or she should expect the same for his or her exit. The manner that the current committee got positions should be the same manner that the next committee shall attain office. Progress will thus be maintained.
He cautioned the DGC membership that it is much easier to destruct than it is to construct.
“You should observe your tongues. The tongue though small has the power to both build and destroy.
What took many days and many people to build can take short period and fewer people to destroy. ”
The NGO’s Chairperson, Moreetsi Gomang, reminded his attentive audience that the organisation’s formation was triggered by, among others, prevalence of crime in the village. This was evidently caused by lack of streetlights, tarred roads, and storm water drainage system in a village that is part of greater Gaborone. A single tarred road, with only three bus stops, serving population of more than 15 000 people forces commuters- women included, to rise early in the morning when it is still dark in a bid to beat long combi cues. Many fall prey to criminals of all sorts.
“We believe that with better infrastructure, such crimes could drop drastically. Tarred roads would mean several ranks and routes in the village. The lack of open market in the village would also be solved. The few bus stops in the village lead to small businesses congesting in few available places. This creates another problem of social conflicts within community,” said Gomang.
Health wise, he said inhalation of the dust from the roads in the village, which obviously has high traffic volume, was reportedly thrice in excess of inhalable dimensions. A report compiled by the Department of Waste Management and Pollution Control, after extensive tests showed this.
“We seem to be dependent on political representation which has its shortcomings. Some of the facilities we could have attained long back had not sufficient representation eluded us. A single Councillor of our village was overpowered by others from other villages that were many in number.
Our launch here in the kgotla indicates that we are not a political organisation. Our focus is in motivating society, working as team to bring about change in infrastructure and general development. Our other area of interest is natural resources conservation. We believe assets like our hill plateau should be utilized for the benefit of our community,” he said, adding that his organization believed in utilising abundant talent that Gabane village has. The community has educated its membership so in time of need, like currently, beneficiaries should pay back by serving.
Architects, planners, engineers and others should utilize such skills to resuscitate the dignity of the village.
Such would ease implementing Private Public Partnerships that would bring about the needed developments. There is need for collective effort by the Gabane community in addressing land issues where Mogoditshane is evidently taking over pockets of land belonging to Gabane. A village elder, Tita Seleke, advised them to be cautious of critics who will aim at unseating them and replacing them with visionless representatives who will lead to the collapse of the brilliant idea.
