23 Mar 2015

Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) marketing and research manager, Mr Mookodi Seisa says they intend to build 50 houses in Tutume, starting October this year and they will be ready for occupation in September 2016.

Speaking during a meeting with the Tutume Sub-district development committee in Tutume recently, Mr Seisa said they had been allocated 22 hectares of land by Tutume Sub-land Board on which they would build 200 houses.

Mr Seisa said of the 50 houses, forty would be low cost houses to be constructed at a cost of P450 000 each; six medium cost houses at the cost of P800 000 each while four would be medium high cost at the cost of P900 000 each.

He further said the cost might rise during the undertaking of the project, particularly that the allocated land was far from other developments. The houses, he added would help address shortage of accommodation for public officers and urged them to buy those houses rather than renting them.

However, he said buying BHC houses was more profitable to the organisation as this allows them to build more houses. Still at the same meeting, heads of departments were informed that the World No Tobacco Day commemoration would be held at Nata on May 31.

Ms Tabby Maphangela, an officer from the ministry of health said this year’s theme for the day was “Stop illicit trade of tobacco products.”

Ms Maphangela said Botswana has celebrated the day since 1987, adding that the purpose of the commemoration was to highlight the effort of countries in fighting tobacco use and health risks associated with tobacco use. She said the global tobacco epidemic kills 6 million people each year while more than 600 000 are people exposed to second hand smoke. 

The use of tobacco, he added has resulted in poverty as the large percentage of family income was wasted in tobacco use and also contributes to non-communicable diseases that could be prevented.

Ms Maphangela also said more than 480 harmful chemicals were found in tobacco of which 69 could cause cancer. She further urged people to help fight the tobacco epidemic as it was also harmful to non-smokers. ENDS