24 Jun 2015

Southern District full council meeting learnt Monday (June 22) that preparations for national, district and urban development plans have been halted pending completion of formulation of a new vision for Botswana beyond 2016.

The council chairman, Mr Mephato Reatile, said in his speech to mark the beginning of the week long council session that new sustainable development goals would replace Millennium Development Goals. 

“While awaiting resumption of the preparations of the plan, I encourage councillors to continuously engage planners on what constituents want that could be implemented under District Development Plan 8 so that they have your thoughts should there be an opportunity for the planning process to accommodate new ideas,” he said.

That withstanding, Councillor Reatile was happy that the district started the financial year on a good note having cascaded Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development annual performance plan.

He, therefore, implored management to continuously engage the political wing on the implementation of the plan which, he said would not be implemented in isolation, but will be complemented by the recurrent and capital budgets as well as procurement and annual plans drawn in the different structures of the council. 

On other issues, Mr Reatile told the meeting that the council has initiated a capacity building on the importance of protocol and etiquette, which he said is important in modern administration. So far, he said, the district leadership has been trained and efforts are underway to roll out the programme to councilors. 

On Crime, the council chairman expressed concern that the district continues to experience a rise in violent and intrusive crimes.

Since January to May 2015, he said 59 cases of burglary and theft, 51 cases of house breaking and theft, 18 cases of robbery and attempted robbery, 44 cases of store breaking and theft, Five cases of murder and attempted murder, 11 cases of threat to kill, 50 cases of rape and attempted rape, 91 cases of stock theft and Five cases of theft of motor vehicle have been recorded. 

Councillor Reatile briefed the house on the consultation by the district leadership with residents of Sekoma, Mabutsane, Sese, Morwamosu and Jwaneng regarding the frequent looting of trucks transporting goods along Trans-Kalahari highway; something he stated was a deviation from Setswana values.

He however said some goods which were looted from one of the trucks ferrying goods along this road have been recovered and called on councillors to encourage electorates to desist from the practice. ENDS