The Lesotho government continues to increase access to telecommunications for people living in the remotest areas of the country through the construction of towers.
The Minister of Communications, Science and Technology, Mr. Tšoinyana Rapapa said this when addressing the public at the sod turning event for the construction of a telecommunications tower at Mabuleng in the Mokhotlong district on Friday.
Mr. Rapapa urged the public to protect development activities meant to improve their lives such as the tower adding that it will be used by both users of Econet and Vodacom Lesotho to make telephone calls.
He said the Mabuleng tower is one of the seven that will be constructed in various districts of the country under the Universal Services Fund (USF) this financial year.
The Minister mentioned that there are other 48 telecommunications towers to be constructed by the Lesotho government with support from the African Development Bank.
He said seven out of the total number will be built in Mokhotlong while the rest will be implemented in other districts to ensure access to telecommunications is increased for everyone.
The Minister mentioned that there are about 600 towers constructed by both Vodacom and Econet Lesotho in different places countrywide, adding that they are still not enough hence the government’s initiative to increase access.
Speaking at the same event was the Minister of Gender, Youth and Sports and Recreation, Ms. Likeleli Tampane who is also a Member of Parliament for Senqu Constituency appreciated the government’s initiative to construct the tower at Mabuleng.
She said Mabuleng is one of the villages hardly visited by government officials because of its remoteness.
Ms. Tampane appealed to the public to protect the tower for various benefits.
She said the villagers are currently struggling to get a signal as they have to walk up the mountain or put their phones on certain windows to search for a signal.
Furthermore the USF Executive Secretary, Mr. Soko Thabisi said the construction of the Mabuleng tower will cost M4 million and will cover villages that include among others, Likhutlong, Majakaneng, Ha Masasane, Lekhatlong Bookamela, Maphaong and Koung.
One of the villagers Mr. Motlokoa Molefe promised to keep an eye over the equipment to ensure equipment such as solar panels is not stolen.
He expressed concern that even if they can do all they can to protect the equipment, most cases of theft happen at night while people are asleep.
Besides the telecommunications tower construction, the residents said they need electricity supply and construction of the road which is currently in poor conditions.
Present to witness the sod turning ceremony and site inspection of the tower whose construction has already started were the Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology, Mr. Lira Moeti and the management of the ministry as well as the public.
Source: LENA 16/07/2022
