10 Mar 2016

Kgalagadi District Council chairperson, Mr Justice Nkwane, says some of the outstanding projects in the district will be completed under the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP).

Speaking during a full council meeting on Wednesday, Mr Nkwane said the projects, which fell under the programme included primary schools electrification works in Bokspits and Lokgwabe and some houses in the financial year 2016/17.

The chairman said the works would provide the much needed jobs as well as create medium term business opportunities to residents.

Furthermore, he said it would increase the district’s competitive edge for investors besides face-lifting the villages.

Under the poverty eradication programme, the chairman pointed out that since its inception in 2011, 2 237 beneficiaries had been approved to date.

He, however, expressed concern that out of that number, only 637 had been implemented while the rest were still outstanding because most preferred redsmall stock and the funds for the aforesaid had been depleted.

Furthermore, Mr Nkwane said 81 projects were non-operational due to funds mismanagement and beneficiary’s lack of commitment towards the project.

On educational matters, he said in primary education the performance had improved from 45.4 per cent to 57.5 per cent while in junior certificate has not been consistent, fluctuating etween 63.4 per cent and 53.2 per cent and added that Matsha College’s performance was disheartening as they had dropped from 14.5 to 10.2 per cent in 2015.

The chairman also complained about the high illiteracy rate in the Kgalagadi region, saying according to data from statistics Botswana; 2014, 4 386 could not read or write. Ends