04 Aug 2015

GAThe intention of government is to create a facilitative environment for Gaborone to be at par with other diamond cities such as Antwerp, London through its initiatives driven by a collaboration of stakeholders through the Gaborone City Council (GCC).

Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Mr Frans Van Der Westhuizen told Parliament that to date, that had not been undertaken as an official exercise in branding the city due to budgetary constraints. 

He said various initiatives had been prioritised for funding during the next budget cycle.

In terms of public infrastructure, Mr Van Der Westhuizen said a number of social infrastructure projects were currently ongoing or planned that would drive the Diamond City initiative, such as the improvements of the road infrastructure, installation of streetlight at the CBD, maintenance of traffic and streets lights and the development of recreational parks.

He said other than the physical infrastructural developments, a number of programmes and policies were in place to facilitate provision of high end facilities and services that were targeted at the high profile visitors to the city. 

He said examples included the CDB master plan that prescribed the kind of developments that were allowed at the CBD and in the process coming up with high ends hotels, office complexes that were at the levels expected by international travelers.

The minister said the private sector had also come on board by partnering with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, through GCC in the development of recreational parks and open spaces that were intended to improve the view of Gaborone.

He said the most recent was the developments of a park along the Nelson Mandela through the partnership between GCC and FNB Foundation. 

He explained that other private sector players had taken part in similar partnerships at varying scales towards the initiative. 

Mr Van Der Westhuizen said the community would be involved in the initiatives as they would directly and indirectly benefit by the turning of Gaborone into a Diamond City initiative such as cultural tourism, sale of artifacts on the city streets, rental space amongst others.

Gaborone North MP, Mr Haskins Nkaigwa has asked the minister what was being done to brand Gaborone into a Diamond City and what role the private sector had played so far in branding the city. 

He further asked whether the progress made was satisfactory and also if the community was involved in the exercise. Ends