06 Jun 2018

A majority of Serowe Administrative Authority (SAA) councillors have expressed concern about slow implementation of constituency community projects, claiming they could by now be completed to pave way for new projects in the new financial year.

Responding to the constituency community projects progress report under SAA subordinate council, councillors unanimously concluded that there were delays in the implementation of various projects despite the necessitating factors.

Such factors have been cited as some projects falling under the mandate of subordinate council where processes of awarding tenders was cumbersome, change of projects scope upon realising that some could not be implemented under this dispensation while other delays were due to shortage of manpower at some villages.

Not only those, the report found that lack of equipment for road works, delayed production of land certificates by village development committees and bad roads to sites that needed clearing before implementation could start negatively affected delivery of the projects in time.

In response to councillors concerns, principal economist at SAA, Ms Lingani Akujalo-Stephen said villages like Dimajwe and Malatswai experienced shortage of builders and ramifications delayed construction of LA2 houses in the respective villages.

She also cited that many of the delayed projects were under the charges of central government, but said that in future council and central government officers would have to find lasting solutions to these delaying factors.

She found that at Motshegaletau, Sehonou and Mabuo ward delayed projects implementations were due to grave defects on VDC houses to be maintained and construction of new houses was the only viable undertaking.

Ms Akujalo-Stephen also informed councillors that the delayed recreational park at the area was necessitated by a devoid of parks officer at SAA, hence the project was escalated to Central District Council, where expertise on the same could be sourced.

On government decision to disburse half of the constituency community projects fund before disbursing the balance, Ms Akujalo-Stephen said that it was a normal process.

However, she agreed with councillors that constituencies that did not implement their projects affected the disbursement of thefunds.

SAA implements constituency community projects in three constituencies of Serowe North, Serowe South and Serowe West.

Some of the projects under Serowe North and Serowe South are implemented under Palapye Administrative Authority and Tonota Subordinate District.

“A total of 94 projects are being implemented, the department of architecture and buildings implements 70 projects, (department of) roads implements 22 projects, five are implemented by Ddepartment of Buildings and Engineering Services under the Ministry of Health and Wellness, one by the education technical department, agriculture implements four projects,” reads part of the report to the council.

The report also states that a total of 16 artisans have been engaged at roads (council), 142 engaged by architecture and buildings department.

Further, five local contractors have been engaged in culvert construction and 23 local artisans in paving works and drift construction. ENDS