21 Oct 2018

Member of Parliament for Serowe South, Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi says constituency development fund should be used to develop the whole constituency despite being shared among wards and or villages.

Dr Venson-Moitoi was responding to Palapye Administration Authority subordinate council chairperson Mr Lesedi Phuthego and some representatives of Radisele village development committee who wanted remainder funds or surplus upon completion of projects be used at the same ward for different projects, unlike the practice where such funds were channelled to assist on projects at other wards.  

At a meeting where the area MP met with councillors, various VDCs, ward development committees (WDCc) and dikgosi, Dr Venson-Moitoi stressed that where there was a remaining balance of the funds allocated for a particular project such a balance should be diverted to complete other projects within the constituency.

Dr Venson-Moitoi, who is also the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development reminded her constituents that the principle of government revenue for development was such that surplus on a project was taken elsewhere to augment on other developments.

She informed her electorate that the minister of Finance and Economic Developmement was empowered to source unutilised government funds and retrieve it where it would be put to good use on government developmental agenda. As such she warned her constituents against the possibility of their funds being retrieved at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development while awaiting approval of the new projects that were not initially planned and budgeted for.

Driving her argument home, Dr Venson-Moitoi put it to her electorate that they were enjoying developments as a result of diamond sales despite the devoid diamond mines in their constituency.

It was this argument that drummed some understanding in those who for some time were intransigent on holding on the remaining funds.

She also reminded members of some WDCs that projects undertaken at award were a development for the whole ward despite that ward consisting of many WDCs.

She cited that a football pitch that falls under Lontone WDC in Serowe was meant to benefit the whole South Central Ward.

For her part, acting senior assistant council secretary under Serowe Administrative Authority Ms Lingani Akujalo-Stephen outlined the challenges her authority faced in implementing the constituency development projects.

Lack of transport, she said, was an inhibiting factor on the council side.

She said that as a result contractor spent longer times awaiting material from the council. Not only that, but lack of transport also affected the supervision and inspection of projects.

In fact, Ms Akujalo-Stephen observed that funds budgeted for some projects got depleted before the actual project, owing to the clearing of sites and other preparations.

Also, the council faced an acute shortage of equipment and machinery needed to expedite the work, the acting SACS said.

Furthermore, securing qualified artisans and other skilled manpower was a challenge, especially necessitated by VDCs and WDCs who delayed in submitting names to the hiring authority. ENDS