26 Mar 2018

In an effort to boost its revenues, North West District Council has identified some sites that have the potential to generate income.

Presenting the proposed sites, the deputy council chairperson, Mr Lathang Molonda explained that the sites had been visited and identified by the council Revenue Generation Committee.

Some of the identified sites, he said the committee suggested that they should be implemented through Public Private Partnership (PPP) due to financial constraints.

Some of the sites he mentioned included the Big Tree which is an open space along the Thamalakane river bank.

He said the area had a potential of generating income noting that the council could apply for the rights of the land at Land Board.

Mr Molonda revealed that the open space could be used for recreational purposes.

In addition, he said the committee had proposed that the area be advertised for Expression of Interest so that the tendering process could be done and the best bidder be given the opportunity to operate the area and the council get some revenue from the operator.

He pointed that all interested parties being Wenela Village Development Committee and NCONGO which had shown interest in the area would be engaged before the project development and implementation.

He said they would ensure that all environmental management issues were taken into consideration.

Another area identified is the closed market place where  businesses could lease council buidings.

Mr Molonda said the idea had proven to be a good revenue source in some municipalities in South Africa citing Johannesburg Market Place.

Gumare Bus Rank has also been identified as currently the rank was underutilised.

Mr Molonda said they believed that the facility needed to be utilised intensively as it could generate more income.

“The existing bus rank structures have eight stalls and a hall that is currently not occupied as people are citing that there is no business,” he added.

He said the proposal was to lease the hall to organisations such as banks so as to attract people to utilise the bus rank which in turn would make business for the market stall.

The committee also suggested that the department of Road, Transport and Safety should also emphasised the utilisation of the rank  by instructing bus owners to drop people at the bus rank so that they were picked by taxis to their final destinations.

Council departments which have offices at the rank such as Environmental Health and Bye Law were advised to move from the Rural Administration Centre (RAC).

It was suggested that organisations like Local Enterprise Authority could also use the stall for incubation and pay rental to the council.

Still in Gumare, the committee also suggested construction of a lounge with a pool, bar/club, games room and a beach volleyball place given the remoteness of the sub district and the unattractiveness of it to the public servants.

Mr Molonda said currently people travelled far for the mentioned activities adding that sport tourism could also be considered.

He said there were no funds readily available for the project but stated that a plot could be secured if the project was approved.

Other projects include commercial centres at Gumare and Shakawe, and a campsite/lodge at Shakawe which could be realised through the PPP arrangement. Ends