02 Apr 2014

The Nigerian envoy to Botswana has commended the Southern District Council (SDC) for domesticating the Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative to construct the Mongala mall, the first of its kind in the country.

Mr Okubotin Cocodia made the compliment in an interview during the official opening of the mall in Kanye recently. Although he said the idea was not new, he said for the SDC to domesticate the initiative in Kanye was a milestone that would go down the annals of history.

He said he would promote the idea in his country where they had over 400 councils. “Nigeria and indeed Africa as a whole would have to take cue from this development,” he said.

He said the mall was an epitome of PPP, which has dramatically enhanced the aesthetic beauty of Kanye, provided job opportunities for the youth and served as an outlet of service provision to the nation.

For his part, the SDC chairman, Mr Leach Tlhomelang thanked Time Projects for completing the over P60 Million project on time and within budget. He said the project would enable SDC to generate revenue with the view to reduce dependence on central government.

Mr Tlhomelang further explained that the development would afford his council the capacity to provide services which were otherwise not catered for in the normal council budget and contain economic spillages that have been flowing out of the district to other areas.

Mr Tlhomelang, whose tenure at the helm of SDC would lapse in October, said SDC was also laying a foundation for other malls across the district to be developed and urged his successors to think further and outside of the box.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Kanye North, Mr Kentse Rammidi commended government for enacting the Local Government Act which has now empowered district councils to synergise with the private sector.

Mr Rammidi also commended Mr Tlhomelang, whom he described as a man of action, for the vision and commitment that has culminated in the development of the mall.

Kanye resident, Ms Tao Lesole was jubilant that they finally have a mall in the village and would no longer have to travel to do shopping in other areas.

She was optimistic that most of the Kanye residents would also find jobs in the mall.

Time projects will manage and maintain the project for a lease period of 45 years, during which period, SDC will enjoy a share of the revenue, according to communications manager, Mr Thapelo Timuno. ENDS