The Minister of Local Government and Chieftainship, Dr Ponts’o Sekatle says roads construction in the mountain areas of the country will simplify and improve lives of community members.

The Minister said this at the public gathering on Saturday at Thueleng, ‘Melikane to officially hand over road construction equipment to mark the construction of rural roads within the Lebakeng constituency.

Dr Sekatle said, 'The construction of roads that are currently going on will simplify and improve the lives of Lebakeng community and of Qacha’s Nek as a whole'.

She said the government has spent M38 million to buy equipment that comprise trucks, tankers and escalators that will be used to construct rural roads in the mountain areas of the country.

She further said her ministry is still waiting for arrival of more machines to be used in other districts for the same purpose.

She said the equipment will be used for the construction of roads within the Lebakeng constituency to Tebellong and others within the Tsoelike constituency.

The Minister expressed hope that availability of the roads will enhance transportation of patients and corpses health centres and.

Dr Sekatle said the initiative of constructing roads is aimed at assisting people, whose areas are underdeveloped due to lack of roads adding that Lebakeng constituency is one of the most underdeveloped constituencies in the country.

'Access to the mountainous areas will also help improve the economy of the country as community members will establish businesses and more tourists will easily tour some of the attraction areas', she noted.

She appealed to community leaders like District Administrators and District Councils from the 10 districts to work together in identifying and prioritising roads that need to be constructed.

A Member of Parliament for Lebakeng constituency and the Minister of Public Service, Mr. Semano Sekatle thanked the government through the ministry of local government and chieftainship for making a long time awaited dream a reality.

Mr. Sekatle urged community councillors and chiefs of areas, where roads will be constructed to maintain such roads at all times and the construction equipment so that they can be used for a long time.

He appealed to the Department of Rural Roads (DRR) office in the district to ensure that they pay the workers, who will engage on road construction on time so that in turn they could devote themselves to their work.

Acting Principal Chief of Qacha’s Nek, Chief Halekhethe Makhaola, said it is the responsibility of community members to ensure that roads are well maintained at all times and therefore should not move or place materials that might destroy them on such roads.

Roads to be constructed include ‘Melikane to Ha-Molomo, Matebeng to Ha-Ramokakatlela, and Ha-Lehata to Ha-Chele.

Source: 19/05/2008