12 Jun 2019

Serowe Administrative Authority (SAA) sub-district councillors have decried the shortage of economic planners which delayed implementation and completion of constituency projects.

Councillors raised their concerns following the presentation of the constituency projects progress report during the ongoing sub-district council meeting in Serowe on June 11.   

Sub-council chairperson Mr Mpho Kooreme said shortage of economic planners at both local and central government level, particularly in rural areas, had tremendously delayed development progress.

Councillor Kooreme said professional development, infrastructure support and technology innovations for improved efficiencies and overall effectiveness in service delivery needed to be addressed urgently.

He said some planners had been sent for further studies while others were transferred without being replaced.

Mr Kooreme said government had introduced a development fund at constituency level in order to transform the economy and develop lives.

He said the scheme would run parallel to the National Development Plan (NDP) 11 and the popular Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) and would not interrupt any existing development programme.

Mr Kooreme said the funding, meant to augment NDP 11 and ESP,  would focus on developments lacking in the constituencies and would be controlled by constituents.

“This initiative will take the bottom-up approach. The constituents will decide on projects and control expenditure,” he explained.

Most councillors were not impressed with the progress of the projects funded with the P10 million constituency funding. 

The report gives an update of both the 2017/18 and 2018/19 constituency projects  implemented within the SAA region which  comprises the three constituencies of Serowe west, south and north.

Councillors said the constituency leadership and the people had to come up with income-generating projects that would yield tangible benefits for the masses.

They expressed the desire to see increased employment opportunities resulting from the projects or activities agreed upon by the people.

They emphasised the need to engage economic planners  in overseeing all projects to ensure accountability for any delays.

According to council physical planner Mr Mothokomedi Kebasentse, a total of 234 projects were under implementation.

Mr Kebasentse said the Department of Architecture and Building Services (DBES)implemented 115 projects, the Department of Roads, 39 and four by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and another 70 by the electrical division.

He said due to shortage of planners in the district, they  were experiencing a lot of challenges in monitoring the projects.

Concerning job opportunities, he said a total 416 jobs had been created, 146 in Serowe West, 134 Serowe South and 134 in Serowe North.

He said five local contractors had been engaged in culvert construction and 17 local artisans engaged in paving works and drift construction.

Mr Kebasentse told councillors that progress had been delayed by material delivery due to high demand and shortage of transport.

He slow procurement processes and bad roads to sites that needed clearing before implementation could start also impacted negatively on development progress.

The physical planner said lack of equipment especially for road works was a concern noting that other sub-districts were too busy with their implemetation programme to lend out their equipment.

Another issue, he said, were delays by Botswana Power Corporation to install supply cables and commissioning of  electrical works.

He said most Village Development Committees (VDCs) had lost or misplaced copies of lease agreements, therefore their office was not able to apply for installation of power and water servicing.

Mr Kebasentse said council had resolved to dialogue with manufactures to deliver material.

He said heavy plant had been outsourced from local companies to work on the road works. ENDS