31 Aug 2014

North East District councillors have expressed concern over the slow pace at which housing programmes are moving in the district.

Commenting on the council chairperson, Mr City Kealotswe's speech, some councillors expressed dissatisfaction at the status quo; calling for more concerted efforts aimed at ensuring that beneficiaries of both the SHHA and destitute housing programmes were assisted timeously.

Councillor William Tatose of Senyawe noted that while the North East District Council (NEDC) had always done well in the provision of housing through the SHHA programme, the situation had deteriorated since the take-over by the Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC).

He said there were now many cases where projects had experienced undue delays, citing as an example a scenario in which the construction of a three-roomed house was still ongoing to date in his ward despite having been started two years ago.

Cllr Tatose also complained about the provision of housing for destitute persons in the district, alleging that areas without social workers did not benefit fully from the destitute housing programme. 

He also observed that not a single eligible person in his ward had been assisted through the programme in the past 10 years.

Mr Tatose however hastened to attribute the problem to the lack of resources for use by public officers, saying the social workers assigned to cover the Senyawe ward were often constrained by lack of transport to reach out to other villages that they serve.

Matsiloje ward councillor, Ms Florah Mpetsane also decried the slow pace of the housing programme in the district. She observed that while many people in the district had long been approved to benefit from the Turn-Key programme, not much had been done so far.

Indicating that housing was central to people’s lives, Ms Mpetsane, who is also the deputy council chairperson, called on BHC to speed up the provision of housing to approved beneficiaries.

For his part, Cllr Saul Duha of Mosojane complained that apart from the slow pace at which destitute housing programme was moving in the district, delays in water connections were also becoming a norm.

Mr Duha said it was sad that despite the district enjoying good water supply as well as proper reticulation, household water connections were being done at a snail pace.

On a related issue, he also criticised Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) for often not moving speedily to attend to reports of pipe bursts and water leakages.

For his part, nominated councillor, Mr Isaac Pelaelo hailed as a good initiative the buying of fresh farm produce for primary schools, adding that the initiative helped farmers a great deal as it afforded them access to a market they could reach at a reasonable cost.

Cllr Pelaelo also expressed contentment at what he said was a good uptake of health programmes by residents of the North East District. 

He said it was evident that many people were making use of health programmes put in place to control such health problems as HIV and AIDS.

Making her contribution, Cllr Joyce Mahube of Ramokgwebana sang praises of the poverty eradication programme; saying it continued to help many people break free from poverty.

She noted that the initiative to allow locals to supply schools with bread had continued to pay off handsomely for its beneficiaries; adding that it was pleasing that locals were taking full advantage of it. ENDS