29 Mar 2015

 Lobatse Town Council is in a drive to lure investors into the town to improve its economy.

Addressing a full council session of the 2014/15 financial year, Lobatse mayor, Ms Malebogo Kruger said it was in pursuit of this drive that the council management submitted a position paper to the Ministry of Lands and Housing, which was presenting critical land issues such as land valuing and servicing.

Critical issues such as the dilapidated structures around town, land allocation processes, airstrip and the council stadium, Ms Kruger said formed part of the presentation to the ministry of lands.

She said the department of town and regional planning in the same quest was established to collaborate with Lobatse Town Council to come up with a regeneration plan which will address land related issues and maximise on the opportunities to resuscitate the economy of the town.

She told the house that the council’s visit to India also formed part of finding ways to revive the town’s economy as the delegates were to witness first hand and appreciate the functioning of a fully-fledged leather park in Chennai.

The trip, she said, was also to meet leather industry players and benchmark their workings and see the type of leather products in the industry. Lobatse is set to have a leather park at an identified site next to the sewerage ponds, measuring 36.8 hectares.

The feasibility study of the park which is conducted by the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) of India and commenced in November 2014 and the final report is expected before the end of the current financial year.

Ms Kruger told the house that the outcome of the study will inform the establishment of the leather park, adding the project is anticipated to start during the 2015/16 financial year. “If the project is successful, a significant amount of business can be regenerated from the leather industry”, she said. This, she said will go a long way in creating employment opportunities for the community and Batswana at large.

Ms Kruger also expressed concern on the academic performance of schools in Lobatse which was not satisfactory. According to the current results, Lobatse Senior Secondary School declined from the 9th position achieved last academic year and is currently ranked at position 20 at national level with a 21.4 per cent, a mark which is below national average of 23 per cent.

Though there is no student who was rated as having scored a merit, there is however minimal improvement of 0.5 per cent in junior secondary schools from 46.9 per cent in 2013 to 47.6 per cent in 2014.“This is a cause for concern”, the mayor expressed.

It is in this regard that the mayor encouraged all to work hand in hand with teachers to help them turn the situation around. ENDS