09 Mar 2016

The new Central Business District (CBD) planned for Gerald Estate residents will be serviced through the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP), says Francistown city clerk, Mr Lebuile Israel.

The servicing of the CBD would come as good news for Gerald Estates residents, who have long complained about lack of a shopping complex in the area.

With the CBD serviced, it is expected that business entities would want to create shopping complexes to cater for the population in the area, and this will help address the issue of travelling four kilometres to the city centre to buy necessities.

In an interview recently, Mr Israel said the land was prepared and layouts approved and just waiting to be serviced, adding that it was going to help alleviate high levels of unemployment.

He explained that the planned development would also offer spaces for low, medium and high income family homes, which would be suitable for first time home buyers and investors alike.

Mr Israel appreciated the kick-starting of the ESP as there would be a strong focus on infrastructural backlog eradication and accelerated land servicing.

He said many Batswana were going to benefit, and that their duty was to ensure that all regions in the country benefit from the programme.

Mr Israel highlighted that the strategy of transforming the city and motivate partnerships for investment and development was going to be achieved. 

He said Francistown would in the future be the city where all things precious were seen, noting that their Vision 2022 initiative was ongoing.

In addition, he noted that there have been a number of proposals from different institutions and companies in relation to the different projects they presented, but that they could not reveal much since nothing has been signed yet.

Mr Israel said one of the institutions was Cincinnati University from the United States, who are looking to invest in Francistown. He said the planned investment centre of vibrancy by 2022 was taking shape and urged stakeholders to create history.

For her part, Gerald Estates deputy court president, Kgosi Tsholofelo Seisa appreciated the commencement of the economic stimulus programme, explaining that there would be a strong focus on infrastructural backlog eradication and accelerated land servicing.

She said most residents were living a difficult life, adding that if the lack of a shopping complex could be addressed, everyone in the area would be happy, as it would also help to alleviate high levels of unemployment in the area.

One of the residents, Ms Kerileng Bee appreciated the government’s decision to service the land through ESP, adding that projects that have been shelved would be attended. Ends