20 Apr 2017

Member of Parliament for Francistown West, Mr Ignatius Moswaane has expressed concern over restrictions for the public to use some public toilets constructed by the Francistown City Council in his constituency.

Speaking in an interview recently, Mr Moswaane noted that he was concerned that the public toilets in Monarch next to the post office, Monarch Area 7 behind the shopping complex and others at Bluetown, Kgaphamadi and Area S were now turning into white elephants, despite being in good condition. 

He said the provision by council to construct public toilets was approved during the 1999-2004 council sessions to which he was part as a councillor and were meant to curb the indecency of people relieving themselves in public spaces. Furthermore, he added that it was agreed that access into the toilets would be levied at P1.

“My biggest concern now is that government continues to spend money on these toilets by engaging security companies to guard all those premises which are not adding value to Batswana. This security arrangement has been going on for at least 10 years now and it is not sitting well with my constituents. When I was still a councillor, I proposed to the then town clerk that the toilets be handed to the Ward Development Committees (WDC) to manage them because council felt they were no longer profitable to them. I have not received a response on this matter up-to-date,” he said.

The chairperson of Monarch North Ward Development Committee, Ms Rosinah Lekgaba stated that her committee had previously made a request to the city council to be granted permission to manage the toilets near the post office, but their request was unsuccessful. BOPA