18 Oct 2015

A North East district special full council meeting held in Masunga recently has adopted projects proposed to be carried out during National Development Plan (NDP) 11 as well as District Development Plan (DDP) 8.

Though generally happy with the projects as presented, some councillors expressed concern that some crucial projects that had been requested for by their wards had been left out.

Cllr Kudzani Tobokwani of Themashanga noted that a couple of projects proposed by residents of his ward had been omitted; citing the addition of a maternity wing to their clinic and the provision of an ambulance. 

He also indicated that the reticulation of power to other parts of the village had also not been included in the plan. 

Ditladi councillor Ms Peggy Senthufe appreciated the proposed projects, however observed that some projects had not been captured the way communities had presented them.

Ms Senthufe said they had requested that the Tonota/Ditladi road be tarred but the project had been captured as a request for re-gravelling. 

The councillor for Ramokgwebana ward Mr Alfred Makgetho also expressed concern about the construction of teachers’ accommodation at Ramoja Junior Secondary School to address shortage of staff accommodation at the school.

Cllr William Tatose of Senyawe observed that key projects such as the construction of a fire station as well as a special education unit in Masunga ought to have been included.

He said it was undesirable that the district did not have its own fire brigade but relied on the one in Francistown. 

Making a presentation earlier, the district development officer Mr Onkokame Mafoko had said that the proposed projects have been divided into four thematic groups namely; economy and employment, social upliftment, sustainable environment as well as governance, safety and security.

He said the projects under the economy and employment thematic group include among others; the construction of dams, houses, libraries, school hostels; the upgrading of roads to bitumen standard and power reticulation.

Mr Mafoko said under the social upliftment category communities have submitted several projects among them the upgrading of health posts to clinics, construction of maternity wings at some clinics, construction of staff housing and the provision of ambulances at some of the clinics.

As for the projects proposed under the sustainable environment category, Mr Mafoko informed the meeting that some of the projects submitted included expansion of the water reticulation schemes, construction and in some cases expansion of sewerage and storm water drainage schemes, construction of water system toilets in some facilities and servicing of land in some villages.

The governance, safety and security thematic group projects include the construction of a police station and fire station, the electrification of kgotla shelters and purchase of vehicles for use by tribal administration staff in several villages. Ends