26 Feb 2019

Government has advised the leadership of the city of Francistown to privatise Botswana Meat Commission.

Mayor Sylvia Muzila said in her speech to mark the opening of the ordinary full council session on February 25 that the decision was arrived at following an appeal by the top brass to President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi to overturn the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security  decision to close the facility.

“Our team and that of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security  have met and a decision has been made by government basing on the cost-benefit analysis to privatise the BMC,” she said.

She added that it was incumbent upon councillors to forge a way forward and maximise the opportunity for the benefit of the city council.

The move, according to Ms Muzila, also gave Francistown farmers and the business community an opportunity to forge partnerships with investors to ensure revitalisation of the facility and creation of employment.

She believed farmers in particular were going to benefit from selling their animals in closer proximity as opposed to having to travel long distances to Lobatse BMC to sell their cattle.

“It will be disappointing to President Masisi if he learns that we have not acted on the opportunity given to us and this will defeat the efforts he is making by going around the world to lure investors into our country,” she said.

On others, Mayor Muzila informed the full council that the long awaited Gerald-Aerodrome link road and Phase 4 development projects were starting, a development she mentioned was instilling hope to the city dwellers.

The house was also updated that progress of well over P7.9 million electrification of Self Help Housing Agency plots in Gerald was at mobilisation stage.

On maintenance of roads, Ms Muzila said there was a marked improvement of the city’s internal roads, which she attributed to road levy funds received sometime in 2017.

Although it may not have covered a lot of areas, Ms Muzila appreciated that most of the roads, in particular the city centre, were now better.

She said with the P40 million disbursed, FCC was able to reseal, reconstruct roads, do the asphalt overlay and potholes and have managed to complete the maintenance of roads among them Domboshaba, Guy Street, Marang, Boipuso Phillip Matante and Matsiloje.

The same, she stated, went for internal roads, which had been and continued to be attended to at Block 8, Ntshe, Donga, Monarch, Phillip Matante East and West as well as Selepa.

This, she said, was in addition to storm water drains under construction at various areas in the city. ENDS