20 Mar 2016

Kweneng District councillors have raised concern regarding non-performance of some implemented committees and Kweneng District Ventures Company despite money having been spent on them.

Commenting on the first session of the ordinary full council meeting on Tuesday, specially elected councillor, Ms Tshenolo Leshomo said since Kweneng District Company was established, there was no trace or evidence of what it has done, adding that it should be called to produce a financial report before council on projects it has undertaken.

Regarding the council formulated committees, Leshomo complained that they were not performing. Among the non-performing committees, she cited the citizen observatory board, which is tasked to conduct a survey on residents' opinions on council operations and projects. Another committee is the performance monitoring committee, mandated to monitor and evaluate projects undertaken by the council.

Councillor Leshomo said although she was assigned as a chairperson of monitoring and evaluation, she has not received any report from either of the committees nor Kweneng District Ventures, adding that they need to know their performance and progress.

It has also been indicated by councillors that Kweneng District Ventures was said to liaise with the Mauritius Municipality to produce coffee, but the project does not seem to have commenced as yet, foregoing its mandate to generate income for the council.

Specially elected councillor, Mr Motlhophi Leo raised concern that reception classes around town operate under trees, adding that primary school facilities like pit latrines were not suitable for children. Furthermore, Mr Leo suggested that reception classes be outsourced to licensed day-care centres, as a gesture of local empowerment.

Councillors complained that road works machinery such as tippers and graders take long when taken for mending. They pleaded that servicing should be fast-tracked in order for roads to be serviced on time.
They also pleaded that every primary hospital in the district should have a national registration office, adding that residents struggle with corpse registering since they have to travel from place to place.

However, councillor for Gakgatla/Ramaphatle, Mr Duncan Ramasiagopana commended the implementation of the Economic Stimulus Program, adding that through the programme it has been indicated Gakgatla would have a kgotla shelter built for them.

He said the construction would in turn create employment for Gakgatla residents. Mr Ramasiagopana also asked that since ESP has three phases, they want to know as councillors what each phase entails. Ends