03 Dec 2014

North West District councillors have elected two Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) nominated councillors, Mr Reaoboka Mbulawa and Mr Lathang Molonda as council chairperson and deputy respectively.

Cllr Mbulawa garnered 29 votes while Cllr Galaletsang Mhapa of Kgosing ward got only 18 votes. 

The defeated Cllr Mhapa is the former Maun Administrative Authority chairperson.

Contesting for the deputy chairperson seat was Cllr Molonda, who was elected by 28 councillors and Cllr Duncan Enga of Thamalakane North, who garnered 19 votes. The two are also from the BDP.

The council comprises of 47 councillors, 30 are from BDP, 14 from Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and three from Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).

Accepting the chair, Mr Mbulawa thanked the councillors for entrusting him with the big task of leading them. He promised that he would ensure that he drives district developments.

He encouraged team work between councillors and employees, noting that public employees had a role to implement council policies and programmes, hence the need for politicians to cooperate with them.

Mr Mbulawa said the councillors’ role was to ensure that employees implement council policies and programmes and should work together to ensure that their respective communities benefit from such.

“Our job as councillors is to represent the aspiration of our communities diligently and not to put our interests first,” he added.

He urged councillors to put aside their political differences and work as a team towards achieving the mandate of the council and transforming the image of the district.

Mr Mbulalwa said the success of the council relies on excellent service delivery by both councillors and public employees.

He also emphasised the need to involve communities and Members of Parliament in council affairs and provide services in a financially sustainable manner in the name of development.

There is need to identify new ways and means of generating own income to augment the budget, he said calling on councillors to promote public private partnership initiative in order to speed up development in the district.

For his part, Mr Molonda thanked councillors for giving him another chance to lead, noting that it showed that they appreciated his good track record of leadership. 

He welcomed new councillors and said he believed that they would bring new ideas, which would take the council to high levels.

Mr Molonda suggested that through undertaking tourism activities, the council could supplement its budget, adding that Maun is an entry point to tourism destinations.

The council, he said, should also address issues of littering and stray animals that roam the mall. ENDS