Ngami Junior Secondary School deputy headmaster, Keene Ropeya has clarified the issue in which the school received a P2 million donation from the Toteng based mining outfit, MMG Khoemacau raised during the Lake Ngami GM’s Cycle Classic held in October last year.
After some months without any update on the pledge made to the Sehithwa based boarding junior secondary school, area councillor, Mmoedi Modiegi recently expressed concern as to why the company is yet to fulfill its promise.
Modiegi questioned if the pledge made by Khoemacau was an honest one or it was just a hollow promise made to the people living where the mine operates. He said since the school takes children from areas of -Toteng, Bothathogo, Bodibeng, Legothwana, Kareng and Sehithwa it is in order that the company gives back to the communities it operates in.
“This has put me under pressure because the people whom I represent are asking me as to where the funds are,” said Modiegi appealing to the company’s management to fulfill its promised. The councillor even threated to further engage responsible minister for intervention on the issue.
However, speaking during a kgotla meeting addressed by North West District Council chairman, Itumeleng Kelebetseng in Bothathogo recently, the deputy headmaster clarified that that the school was never meant to benefit from the said donation as direct cash. She noted that the P2 million which was displayed as dummy cheque during the event was not to be disbursed into the school’s account.
Ropeya indicated that the company has instead selected two developmental projects for the school which are worth that amount. She explained that the funds will be used towards the rehabilitation of the school’s entire water reticulation system as well as upgrading its library into a digital one.
According to her, the company has indicated that they will first start with the rehabilitation of the water reticulation system scheduled to commence this month while the remaining funds will be directed towards refurbishing the library.
She indicated that officials from Khoemacau recently visited the school to make assessments and have set themselves a six months period to have completed the works.
Updating on some of the challenges faced by the school, Ropeya revealed that their kitchen burnt down in April last year, they are currently forced to cook outside using fire woods. She highlighted that sometimes they encounter delayed supply of the fire woods as well as health complaints from cooking staff about inhaling the smoke. She is however pleased that a contractor has already been engaged to maintain the kitchen hoping that the work will be completed by next year.
She added that boarding students are subjected to mosquito bites owing to the over grown in the school, adding that efforts have since been made for health authorities to provide learners with mosquito nets and apply Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) at the hostels.
The deputy school head has also complained about uncollected JCE certificates since 2021 to 2023 and has pleaded with parents to urge their children to collect them before they are taken back to BEC Headquarters in Gaborone.
Meanwhile, Ropeya has commended that the school’s 2024 academic results have slightly improved as compared to the past three years having experienced a value addition of 6.9%.
