Qacha’s Nek, Feb. 11— In the remote villages of ’Melikane, including Ha Rasekoele, a simple trip to the clinic is an ordeal that can take hours on foot.
Residents walk two hours to Tiping river just to catch a taxi, then endure a three-hour uphill journey back to Khubetsoana, leaving families isolated, vulnerable, and struggling to access even basic services.
For villagers, what should be a routine journey for healthcare, education, or daily errands has become a test of endurance, made worse by rain, mud, and impassable paths. “It’s an everyday battle,” says Khubetsoana Chief Molahlehi Tholoana in an interview with the Agency on Wednesday. “Some people, even when they are sick, avoid the health facility and resort to home remedies because the journey is too difficult.”
Despite the challenges, Chief Tholoana expressed hope. With a mining project planned for the area, he hopes contractors will build the much-needed road. “I really hope the plan will succeed. It will not only create jobs for locals but also give us a road, which is one of our biggest challenges,” he said.
’Melikane Councillor Mr. Lehlohonolo Mahase confirmed that other villages, including Ha Seketana, Khohlong, Kholokoe, Makenong, Letsatseng, Ha Chopho, Sekiring, Ha Thokoa, Thaba-Koto, and Lepapaneng, face similar difficulties.
Residents sometimes walk up to nine hours to reach ’Melikane Health Centre and endure another nine-hour journey home. “Because vehicles cannot reach these communities, some still rely on stretchers to carry the sick or even the deceased,” he added.
Communication is also a major hurdle. “Getting messages across is extremely difficult, and organising community meetings often fails due to lack of network coverage,” Mr. Mahase said.
He said the absence of roads and connectivity affects every aspect of daily life, from health and education to governance and social interactions.
Residents often leave home as early as 3:00 a.m. to reach clinics or attend public gatherings on time. “Even Ha Rasekoele Primary School struggles due to inaccessibility. Food deliveries for school feeding programs must be carried on students’ shoulders from ’Melikane Combined School,” Mr. Mahase explained.
He said persistent rainfall only worsens the situation, turning dirt paths into impassable mud. Although applications for road construction have been submitted to the council, he said current resources are focused on access roads to Tebellong, with promises to reach ’Melikane afterward.
Residents remain cautiously hopeful. ’Mats’episo Makhama, a mother from Ha Rasekoele, shared her struggles: “When my child falls sick, I have to walk for hours just to reach the clinic. Sometimes we stay home because the journey is too dangerous, especially in the rain. A proper road would change everything for us.”
She added, “The journey to ’Melikane and back is exhausting, it takes a full day. We shouldn’t have to suffer like this just to reach basic services.”
For villages in ’Melikane, a road is more than infrastructure, it is a lifeline. It could transform health to access, education, and livelihoods, breaking years of isolation.
With a mining project on the horizon, residents are holding onto hope that their roads and future will finally become accessible.
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