19 Mar 2019

Mochudi, which is at the core of the Kgatleng District’s economic activities,  is in urgent need of an additional bus/taxi rank.

This was said by council chairperson Mr Mpho Morolong during the ongoing full council session in Mochudi on March 18.

Mr Morolong said the ideal and strategic location for such a project would be the area adjacent to the old Chand Brothers premises.

The Boseja Central councilor said the place had the highest concentration of traffic and would allow for other economic activities such as vendors and other SMMEs

“The additional bus/taxi rank will also help relocate taxis from their current operating spaces which are ungazetted,” he said.

He said the council was aware that if they proceeded with the idea, the current spatial plan and layouts would have to be reviewed while affected households would have to be consulted.

“The proposed rank does not in any way affect the planned bus rank at Pilane which will be done through Kgatleng District Development Fund (KDDF),” he said.

He said there would also be need to provide a walkway for the sizeable number of people living with disabilities in the village.

Mr Morolong noted that the council had failed for a long time to provide for special groups.

He said adequate signage would be required to caution motorists about the presence of the visually impaired people on the roads.

On other issues, Mr Morolong said the latest budget speech by did not address any major infrastructural developments in the district such as the relocation of DRM Hospital, construction of Modipane/Mabalane road, and Mochudi Library.

He complained that although council planned through consultation with the community, the results were always frustrating.

Mr Morolong appealed to government to give Kgatleng District special consideration due to its proximity to the capital city.

He said the council had estimated P10 500 780 as own source of income for the 2018/19 financial year and collection as at March 6 stood at P8 368 342.91 representing an under collection of P2 228 521.19.

Out of the P161 849 400.00 budget, Mr Morolong said P 140 292 352.57 had been spent.

He said under-expenditure by the council was a concern and urged all departments to ensure prudent management of financial resources adding that spending should be as per annual implementation plans.

Mr Morolong informed his audience that the council was implementing 2017/18 spillover roads projects under the constituency development programme.

A total of 24 out of 38 projects are complete, five range between 76-99 per cent while two are between 50-75 per cent and the remaining seven, all which are drainage-related, are still below 50 per cent.

Mr Morolong said the projects started late due to the delayed award of building materials tender.

As a way of speeding up projects take off, Mr Morolong said the council was in the process of engaging the services of privately owned excavators.

He said the building construction projects of 2017/18 and 2018/19 financial years had also been delayed due to late procurement of materials.

Strategies and time-lines have been put in place to make up for lost time, Mr Morolong said. ENDS