24 Mar 2015

Gaborone mayor, Mr Kagiso Thutlwe, says public infrastructure is vital to the economic prosperity, safety and health of members of the community but regretted that the council has been under investing in maintaining these most critical infrastructures.

Addressing a Gaborone City full council meeting on March 23, Mayor Thutlwe said this financial year, efforts had been made to reverse the trend by completing some roads project, noting that during the same period, a number of storm water drainage projects were also completed.

These included construction of storm water drains at Lekgaphana Way located at Extension 25, storm water drains in various locations of Phase II, Block 3, Partial, Extension 12 and Block 8. Construction of storm water drains at Phase IV is still ongoing and is at 40 per cent progress.

On other projects, the mayor said the repair of a pedestrian bridge over the Nelson Mandela Road was near completion at 92 per cent. 

There were other projects that were still ongoing which included the paving of Mogochanyama/Nelson Mandela junction which was at 52 per cent. This project was a joint emergency work between Gaborone City Council (GCC) and Cash Bazar Holdings, he added.

Still on infrastructure, Mr Thutlwe said the paving of Tholo Road at Bontleng stood at 15 per cent while pothole patching for Gaborone roads was also ongoing at 75 per cent progress. 

Other projects that were still ongoing, he said included supply and delivery of roads materials and small tools and paving of Tsitoi Crescent at Diphetogo ward.

On a positive note, additional projects implemented and completed include those under the Ipelegeng programme  such as the paving of Matlhabanelo road at Marang, the road between plot 9321, 9330 and 9355 at Maruapula, Motswere road at Sekgwa, Lekgaba road at Tsholofelo South, Tshampa road at Boikhutso, Matsepane Crescent at Ledumang and Sowa Crescent at Gaborone West.

“The council is currently observing defects that may require repair. Besides the regular maintenance of our electrical infrastructure, we also had major projects. 

This year, we invested P23 630 000 on maintenance of our electrical infrastructure. In order to improve safety and appearance of one of the oldest mall in the city, we installed security lights in our Main Mall,” he said.

The mayor further stated that the council had a project of the rehabilitation and maintenance of street lights infrastructure and installation of flood lights in some areas of Gaborone.  The works, he added were ongoing on the Western Bypass road, New Lobatse Road, Gaborone West and Airport Junction road.

This project, he said, started on the first of November 2014 and the expected completion was November 25, 2016.

Still on illumination of Gaborone, the mayor said, a project for the design, supply installation, commissioning and maintenance of the proposed street lights at the Central Business District (CBD) was at tender stage.  ENDS