Onalenna Modikwa
13 November 2007
Palapye — The village of Palapye has surpassed other villages with developments and modernity.
The village now qualifies it to be a town. It is not just a centre through which one accesses other areas but it also plays a pivotal role as a service centre for surrounding smaller villages, especially those in Tswapong.
Shops, commercial banks, government offices and transport to other areas in the country are found in Palapye.
This has turned the village into a hub for diverse tribes of different languages. Though it is historically Ngwato, the most popular languages are Kalanga and se-Tswapong with many cooked up stories showing how they reacted upon seeing a train or a burger for the very first time in Palapye.
It used to possess the old railway house structures and station that were visible on the left on the way to Boseja ward.
The train horns in the morning and evening, and the unusual sounds of locomotives ferrying goods to other areas used to be one of the interesting features for the newcomer to Palapye.
It was just a dream for everyone to see himself boarding a train as it was associated with high-class members of the community.
Towards the mall there was a big motswere tree that served as a station for trucks from Tswapong. In the centre of the mall stood a restaurant, reddish in colour called KMF and a network of chain shops and hawkers, who sold accessories and cosmetics.
Others sold cassettes that were played loudly in the centre of the mall and the noise would alternate with the meat cutting sound from one butchery that was commonly known to be 'Ngwako's'.
Like with other areas there would be Shona tribes clad in their white clothes selling dry beans and mangoes.
Many people never thought of Palapye as a village that has all the necessary traditional arrangements like Dikgotla, residential plots or even traditional houses because to them Palapye was just the mall where buses stopped and continued on their journey.
On the western side of the butchery upon crossing the gravel road that led to the railway station, there were tightly packed residential plots populated mostly by coloured pupils in some primary schools that were associated with the upper classes of Palapye.
At night, the long tower at Morupule power station was a marvel to see. Red lights switched on and off continuously while the snow white emissions oozed into the atmosphere.
This is a where the country's President and former MP, Festus Mogae, along with the likes of the late Moutlakgola Nwako originate.
Over time, Palapye dramatically developed into a small town with the population having increased to close to 30, 000. It started off with the establishment of the commonly known engine mall which houses major shops as well as warehouses and wholesales in the industrial site.
People thronged the village in search of jobs. Another mall opened up a walking distance from Standard Chartered Bank followed by Choppies mall.
One of the greatest establishments that changed the face of Palapye was the opening of the Rural Administration Centre at Extension 3.
People who travelled to Serowe for services now get them easily and timely in Palapye.
Another major project is the construction of the second university.
Plans to begin construction are well under way and it is also hoped to double the population and boost the village's economic fortunes by attracting many investors.
The construction of a primary hospital is well under way and the plot has already been secured. The hospital will be similar to the new one in Molepolole. However, the current one will still remain operational.
A new state-of-the-art police station is also coming to Palapye. A plot has already been identified and the new station is expected to ease congestion at the current police station situated opposite the post office at BTC. A special school for the disabled is also planned for Palapye.
Residents of Palapye still cling to the tradition of cattle rearing and farming as evidenced by the huge number of farms along the Mahalapye road in Setatse lands. VDCs and drought relief programmes are well in place. The residents' determination in farming looks to be fading away and the president echoed his concern during his recent visit.
Minor fishing activities come alive at the Lotshane River when it is flowing. During harvest season they sell farm products, wild fruits and phane. Palapye has not been spared the agony of criminals who terrorise residents at night. Mostly stolen are household items and stock theft.
The hardest hit areas are the extensions where Zimbabweans give residents sleepless nights.
Residents blame themselves for harbouring illegal immigrants and employ them as farm workers, herd boys and girls as well as security gaurds.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2007 Mmegi/The Reporter. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
