11 Apr 2016

Lobatse mayor, Ms Malebogo Kruger says the town council has developed a roadmap in its efforts to take the council to the people.

Ms Kruger said this at a kgotla meeting held recently to update Motswedi/Thema residents on developments in their town.

The mayor noted that with the roadmap, the council intended to interact with people to appreciate their needs and concerns. The roadmap, she said, was the first undertaking ever by any council in Botswana.

Ms Kruger also updated residents on Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) projects in their town, which she said included the construction of a classroom and toilets at Bothakga Primary School.

She also told residents that the ongoing construction of a teachers’ village by the council was almost complete.

She said the two and three bedroomed houses were 50 and 40 per cent complete respectively while connection of street lights was also 65 per cent complete.

Furthermore, she said Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) had reduced the sewage charge from P600 to an affordable price following complaints by residents that it was too high.

On other issues, the mayor told residents that WUC had reported that Gaborone Dam was 19 per cent full, a capacity she said would sustain water supply for seven months in the absence of rain. 

However, she said the water in the dam was covered with mud and thus would take longer to make it potable.

On the other hand, Lobatse District Officer, Ms Tuelo Gothaang confirmed that the town was awarded two projects under ESP in the education department and District Health Management Team (DHMT).

Ms Gothaang said health workers would receive 17 houses while three laboratories would be built at Letsopa and Itireleng Junior Secondary Schools, also under ESP. 

However, she said projects were still at the tendering stage and in the first phase.

Meanwhile, the principal programmes officer in the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture, Ms Onneetse Malope said having received the BOT50 logo as well as ongoing preparations, residents should attend meetings in order to come up with ideas on how they would celebrate independence day.

 Ms Malope also encouraged them to help in identifying other people who would assist with preparations and making the celebrations in their town a success. Ends