11 Jun 2019

Government has saved P4 million from the initial estimated amount for Mmathubudukwane police project.

The project was awarded to Mido Construction as the main contractor and Architect Collaborative as lead consultant at a contract sum of over P160 million.

The Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Development, Mr Vincent Seretse revealed this when his ministry handed over the project to the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security in Mmathubudukwane recently.

He said though he was not with the ministry when the project started in 2017, he had an opportunity to visit the site after joining the ministry and was impressed with its progress.

“It is even more gratifying that we are now handing over the project to the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security for beneficial use and that indeed the contractor has lived to his promise that the facility would be completed in the first half of the year as had been anticipated,” he said.

Mr Seretse said the people of Kgatleng District had waited with baited breath for the completion of the project.

“Our gathering here is testimony that we have fulfilled the promise which we made at the start of the project that we will not disappoint,” said Mr Seretse.

He said government had essentially built a small town in Mmathubudukwane, which would contribute to the new look of the village.

He said at a time when most people were concerned about issues of security and safety, the Botswana Police Service (BPS) would no longer have reason to record high crime rate in all the river villages, especially in Mmathubudukwane where the facility was located.

“They will now have a place to bring their officers to stay and protect the people and their property from any criminal activity that may threaten their security,” said Mr Seretse.

He further indicated that he was happy that the project was not a part of those that were delayed and incurred cost overruns.

“I, therefore, applaud officials in my ministry, the contractor and consultants, together with the client for having worked together cooperatively, as a team to ensure that this becomes one of our best projects.”

Minister Seretse also acknowledged facilitation and interest which Kgosi Michael Balebetse took in the project.

“I am told that he regularly attended site meetings where he was able to advise the team on issues which were of concern as well as interests of the community,” he said.

Mr Seretse said as government, they had become tired of projects that gobbled taxpayers’ money that could have been used to finance other meaningful projects to take services to the people.

“We therefore do not approve of contractors and other project players who fail to do their part resulting in project failure,” he said, adding that good performers in a project such as the contractor and consulting team that worked on the Mmathubudukwane project needed to be replicated in all projects.

Mr Seretse also implored facility users to ensure that they maintained it and not allow it to dilapidate.

Member of Parliament for Kgatleng East, Mr Moagi Molebatsi thanked government for the infrastructure and called on more projects to be allocated to his constituency.

He said the police station and housing project would go a long way in helping Kgatleng residents to live dignified lives without worrying about crime. ENDS