Politician accuses public servants of sabotage
Zolani Kraai | Friday January 31, 2014 17:20
The Kgalagadi South District Development Committee (DDC) has been accused of sabotage over McCarthy's Rust settlement recognition status.Politician accuses public servants of sabotage
Tsabong South Councillor Sam Brooks told Mmegi recently that the DDC recommendations led to Ministry of Local Government & Rural Development (MLG&RD) not considering McCarthy's Rust as a recognised settlement. 'Clearly some parties are interested in this matter and I very strongly suspect some civil servants,' said Brooks. The DDC is a local structure that exists to assess and coordinate investigations on land use matters. It is comprised mainly of the Council, Landboard, district commissioner's office and agriculture and wildlife departments.According to a Savingram from the Permanent Secretary at MLG&RD Boipolelo Khumomatlhare, dated August 14, 2013, during the last quarters of 2012 and 2013 and the first quarters of 2013 and 2014 the ministry requested information from the districts on unrecognised settlements.
The correspondence also sought to know if the settlements were provided with services. McCarthy's Rust is one of the settlements getting services from both Kgalagadi District Council and some central government departments. A primary school with only two teachers and standard 1 and 2, is one of the infrastructures available there.Notwithstanding, Khumomatlhare stated in his communication to the council secretaries and district commissioners requesting them to take note of a Presidential Directive Cab 18 (SP) 2013 stating that seven settlements are to be recognised while 51 would be incorporated into existing settlements or villages. The respective districts listed in the directive that would incorporate the settlements would be Kgalagadi, Kgatleng, Kweneng, North West and Southern districts, the correspondence read. The directive further reveals that in Kgalagadi, the settlements to be incorporated would be Humoud, Inversnaid and Logaganeng and all to be incorporated to Kokotsha, Vaalhoek and Maubelo respectively but McCarthy's Rust was left out. Responding to the directive, Brooks said he has a feeling that the ministry was not advised properly on the McCarthy's Rust issue.
The full council had on April 2013 unanimously resolved to recommend to the ministry to fully support the recognition of McCarthy's Rust as a settlement. Brooks however maintains that despite the recommendations from the DDC, the council had resolved not to recognise the settlement and request ministry to give a waiver for KGDC to incorporate it to Tsabong.A savingram from the council redated October 22, 2013, acknowledged receipt of Khumotlhare's presidential directive correspondence. In its response, the council had requested for a meeting with the ministry to express its displeasure with the Cabinet directive.
It states that Khumotlhare's communication has not indicated anything about McCarthy's Rust for it to be incorporated into Tsabong. The council also says, in its full council meeting of April 2013, it resolved to send a delegation to meet with the minister on the matter. The council communication further states that it indeed affirmed to the recommendations regarding Logaganeng, Houmud and Inversnaid but it had a different opinion on McCarthy's Rust.