Gathoka residents expose Govt.’s double standards

The people of Gathoka in the Kweneng district are living in extreme poverty, something they believe government is aware of but is not willing to address.

In an interview with Botswana Guardian recently, residents of the informal settlement expressed bitterness at government. “They say we are not staying here legally, but during elections, they come here with their vehicles to fetch us so that we can vote for them,” says an angry youth.

Narrating how government mocks them, another youth Boitshwarelo Baganne reveals that for over many years, government has been refusing to declare their area a legal settlement under the pretence that their population is less than 500. But the truth, she says is that, they are over 500.

“The challenge has been that only a few of us have Identity Cards (Omang), but when elections come, politicians ensure that we acquire the IDs, only to disappear after winning,” she says. She says their settlement comprises of illiterate citizens whose mindset should be changed when it comes to education and socio-economic developments in their area.

Her suggestion is that ‘the hunger politicians demonstrate during elections should continue to be seen after the election.’ Thus, they should work hard at ensuring that residents acquire Identity Cards for Gathoka to be recognised as legal settlement.

Poverty stench, chaos rules lives
The settlement is just a stone’s throw away from Molepolole. It falls under Lekgwapheng ward. The dam that residents have been drawing water from is dry, therefore they go to Molepolole to ‘ask’ for water. Residents say it was constructed through Ipelegeng; the only poverty eradication scheme available to them.

With no water, young people are forced to go to school without bathing. Some even quit school due to being bullied by other students for being dirty, according to a minor who has since stopped going to school. 
A lot of residents, both young and old, are HIV positive, with some infected with Tuberculosis.

According to 34 year-old Baganne this is caused by lack of awareness on HIV/AIDS, TB, defilement and alcoholism among residents. She says the fact that they access health facilities in Molepolole is to blame for the escalation of teenage pregnancies, HIV and TB infections. The Baganne family is currently living with their critical TB patient, an experience they say is gruesome. “We share everything with him. We don’t have anything, be it information or resources to protect ourselves from further infections,” she says.

There is also an issue of illegal immigrants, in particular, Zimbabweans who are accused of raping women and molesting minors.

Official response
Social worker Goitse Barupi did not want to be drawn into an interview, and referred BG News to Kweneng senior assistant council secretary Gofaone Kgabanyane, who was reported to be out of the country. Molepolole South Member of Parliament Tlamelo Mmatli said he was trying to get government  to recognise Gathoka. He however said  that it was going to be a difficult and lengthy process.

He revealed that even though government does not recognise Gathoka, there are people who were born there and who have their ancestral heritage there. “Over the years, no attention was given to those people, and I’m going to put government under pressure to change their situation,” he said.