18 Dec 2017

There are a number of statutes that define what constitutes a habitable unit and the requirement of minimum amenities such as water, access to ablution, minimum sleeping accommodation and a cooking area, says Gaborone City Council (GCC) clerk, Mr Mpho Mathe.

He was responding to questions asked at a city council meeting. He said the statutes included the Building Control Act, Public Health Act and Town and Country Planning, and that they had a provision for punitive measures in the event of contravention by any party.

On other issues, Mr Mathe said the poverty eradication task force was in place, adding that it met on November 10 to plan and work on modalities of carrying out the assignment. 

He added that it included formulating a questionnaire for data collection and selecting beneficiaries which would be done randomly.

Regarding revenue collection, Mr Mathe said there was a revenue office at Gaborone West SHHA offices which serviced Bonnington South and other customers who found it convenient to seek services there, adding that the commercial affairs department had concluded plans to establish an office at Gaborone West SHHA offices in the next financial year.

On storm water drainage, he said the city council was aware of the dangers it posed to the community, but that due to unavailability of funds they were aiming to construct them in areas that did not have them. He said the covering of storm water drainage works would be done when funds were available.

The city clerk said street lights on Matlhatswa road were affected during the preparations for storm water drainage, and that plans were underway to replace wooden street light poles with metal ones in quarter four.

Councillor Obositswe Montwedi had asked the city council when it would repair the Motlhatswa road street lights to cover the storm water drainage as one person had already fractured his leg. Ends