The new North West District Council Chairman, Kebareeditse Ntsogotho says he intends to continue hosting no chairman’s ball throughout his term provided there are still more pressing issues in the district that needs funding more importantly compared to councilors longing to get drunk using government funds.
The Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) Councilor for Khwai/Mababe broke the norm in December when he canceled the annual year end council party. Different councils across the country always host the party usually around festive period noting that the functions are a way for them to strengthen ties with different local stakeholders and also to celebrate their accomplishments for an ending year.
Even though Ntsogotho does not dispute that the functions can be used as a form to interact with other stakeholders, but his complaint is that the functions are mostly an excuse for councilors and other invited guests to party and waste money on alcohol and food.“Chairman’s ball is all about booking a venue at a lodge, then we eat and drink alcohol, get drunk and dance, that’s it, after that we dismiss,” he said.
Ntsogotho argues that there are more important things that should be given priority for government funding rather than wasting the already lacking funds with unnecessary events. He lamented that the North West District is a very complicated district which has several dire needs that should be given priority.
“There are students in Sexaxa and Boro areas who walk about 12 and 18 kilometers on daily basis to school. Those children wakes up very early in the morning then walk a long distance to school and when they arrives there they are already tired,” Ntsogotho highlighted.
The Council Chairman revealed that part of the funds which was scheduled for the chairman’s ball will be diverted and used to complete a primary school in Sexaxa to curb students from walking long distances to schools outside their area. Ntsogotho added that they have also proposed to build a two teacher school in Boro to also help mitigate the situation in that area.
The outspoken councilor pointed that such interventions are the ones that should always be considered first before wanting to waste government funds on alcohol and food.
In December the council resolved to use bulk of the funds to hold a week long workshop that will help capacitate councilors on council policies and by-laws. Ntsogotho says the idea is for councilors to always make informed and relevant submissions when deliberating council matters. The veteran politician says it is very embarrassing for councilors to make irrelevant submissions when debating during council meetings.
“This waste our time in council, we cannot have councilors who are not informed about policies and by-laws that runs their institution,” Ntsogotho condemned.