04 Mar 2013

Transfer of the rural development council from the ministry of Finance and Development Planning to the then ministry of Local Government has expanded the latter’s mandate thus calls for more resources and collective efforts to achieve the noble objective of enhancing rural development, Minister Peter Siele told Parliament.

The transfer was announced by President Lt General Seretse Khama Ian Khama in his State-of-the-Nation address last November and the ministry changed its name to Local Government and Rural Development while the new council’s mandate was officially launched on January 28 this year.

Presenting the 2013/14 budget proposals of over P5.4 billion for the ministry’s recurrent and development budget, Mr Siele said he was however hopeful that this would enhance community participation at the local level.

Mr Siele was also happy that his ministry has managed to establish five service centres which he reported were operational albeit at different levels.

The centres are in Lentsweletau, Nata, Tsabong, Shakawe and Gantsi. However, the minister explained that Tsabong service centre was fully operational as a sub-district while the rest of the centres will in future be upgraded into sub-districts, resources permitting.

“These are efforts by the ministry to bring services closer to the people, thereby reducing distances travelled by citizens to access basic services, pursuant to our slogan ‘Batho Pele’,” he said.

Further, Mr Siele said the ministry continued to put focus and emphasis on strengthening policies, systems and procedures for improving local governance.

To that end, he said the Local Government Act of 2012 which merged the District and Township Acts has been passed by Parliament as law while the Act commenced in February this year.

The Act, he said would enable local authorities to make decisions and utilise available opportunities in running their affairs; thereby facilitating decentralisation and enhancing local governance.

Also, he said among the critical milestones in the Act was that collection of property rates would be extended to rural areas on a selective basis, the benefits of which he said would enhance revenue base for local authorities.

Parliament heard that the development of the decentralisation policy, which he said would become a roadmap for decentralisation and a guide to government on taking services to the people, has been delayed because of the consultant’s poor performance.

“The services of this consultant have since been terminated. We therefore expect to complete this policy in-house before the end of the 2013/14 financial year,” he said.

On other issues, Minister Siele said the Bogosi institution continued to play a pivotal role in nation building, preserving culture as well as delivery of justice at the customary courts.

He said Bogosi played an active role in the development of the country hence the ministry’s commitment to strengthening the institution and ensuring its continued role and relevance.

Mr Siele also indicated that the Customary Court (Amendment) Bill 2012 meant to build capacity of the traditional leadership and enhance delivery of justice at the customary courts, has been approved by Ntlo ya Dikgosi and would be presented to Parliament in the current sitting.

On water provision, he noted that the ministry has commissioned the Middlepits/Khawa water project in May last year. The project, he said has addressed water shortage in Kgalagadi South adding that currently it is on defects liability period until the end of this month (March).

Furthermore, he indicated that other projects for implementation during the current financial year included Boteti Northern cluster, Seronga-Gunotsoga-Beetsha-Gudigwa; rehabilitation of Shakawe treatment plant and construction of desalination plants at Radisele and New Xade.

Meanwhile, he said pursuant to water sector reforms, the ministry would hand over the last water service delivery in the North West District to Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) in April.

The minister told the House that under village infrastructure, the ministry has managed to complete Charleshill and Masunga internal roads, while Tlokweng and Gumare internal roads were expected to be completed in the next financial year.

He said contracts for Bobonong internal roads and Palapye bus rank were yet to mobilise while Molepolole bus rank was at mobilisation stage; adding Letlhakeng internal roads project was re-tendered and expected to be awarded this month (March).

On rural and urban sanitation, the minister indicated that waste management still posed a challenge in most parts of the country, particularly in urban and peri-urban places.

Mr Siele expressed concern about indiscriminate littering and dumping of waste at un-gazetted places by some members of the public and business entities.

To address some of the challenges, he said the ministry has floated a countrywide Expression of Interest (EOI) in provision of waste management services.

The aim, he said was to identify and promote integrated waste management solutions by involving wider stakeholders such as the public, non-governmental organisations and the business community to partner with government to address issues of waste management.

“Meanwhile, councils have continued with outsourcing of waste collection through engagement of small-scale and big contractors,” he said. ENDS