05 May 2016

Mayor of Lobatse, Ms Malebogo Kruger, has allayed fears that the envisaged leather park will not be established in Lobatse.

Recently news circulated in the media that there was likelyhood of the leather park being relocated to Selebi Phikwe.

Ms Kruger told residents of Woodhall in a kgotla meeting that the leather park would surely be established in Lobatse.

The mayor said following her benchmarking visit to India with the Assistant Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Mr Sadique Kebonang and other dignitaries, she was confident that the town would not look the same once the project takes off.

The project, she said, was taking long to take off due to the environmental impact assessment (EIA) that was being carried out.

Having learnt it from the Milk Afric EIA that took close to three years, Ms Kruger said she was expecting a similar situation with the leather park and therefore called on residents to exercise patience.

She indicated that the P400 million project, which will operate in a 38 hectare plot offered by the Lobatse Town Council might start operations in 2018.

Ms Kruger told residents that Lobatse was coming up well in terms of rescuscitating its economic status considering that more companies were willing to operate from there.

She indicated that the spin offs that came when companies set up their operations there were already visible.

She said when PASDCEC, a vehicle wiring company set up in Lobatse, 20 young people from each ward were selected to be trained for employment with the company.

“Not only do these companies assist in alleviating, poverty, creation of employment, but they also raise the town’s economic status with the positive spin offs that come with it”, she said. 

On issues of water and electiricty, Ms Kruger said she was happy that there had been steady flow and supply of water with the situation hoped to improve once the North South Carrier was well connected and running.

She said electricity supply in town has also been steady except for hinges of streets lights that were not working and most of the time, leaving the town in the dark and thus posing danger to the people.

She said the town council was working around the clock to ensure that the street lights are up and running.

In their comments, residents expressed concern at the poor implementation of projects and programmes such as poverty eradication, Economic Stimulus Progrramme and the Youth Development Funds.

One of the residents Mr David Relemogeng said he was disheartened by the poor implementation of these projects which he alluded much to lack of capacity by the officers.

He therefore advised that government to mobilise retired officers who have technical and professional expertise to save the situation.

Another resident, Mr Shadreck Bimbo shared the same sentiments, adding that projects and programmes have collapsed and it has proven futile for government to carry out its implementation to the latter to avoid such collapses.

On the issue of investors coming to Lobatse, Mr Bimbo advised the leadership to empower citizen owned companies by ensuring that foreign investors partner with local companies as a way of skills transfer and economic empowerment.

In her response, the mayor thanked all those who had inputs in the meeting, adding that the inputs they made will go a long way in improving service delivery and act as customer satisfaction survey.

She indicated that her door was also open for all to come forward and give both the political and administration leadership some ideas on how to better run the town and improve especially service delivery to the community.

For his part, area councillor Mr Molaodi Mantle thanked all those who attended the meeting, saying it was a sign that they were willing to work together to improve the ward let alone the town.

Councillor Mantle said Lobatse Town Council was going all out to improve the livelihoods in the town, and it was therefore upon individuals who have been assisted or given information, to rise up to the occasion, take action in empowering themselves.

He said, information was all available, funds have been availed and therefore upon individuals to take action. Ends