11 Nov 2019

Town planners countrywide have been challenged to contribute towards the attainment of a knowledge-based economy as envisaged in Vision 2036.

 “We talk about the knowledge-based economy and as a planner you should ask yourself how you are going to contribute to the attainment of that outcome in our Vision 2036. How are you going to contribute to ensuring that by 2036 we are a knowledge-based economy,” says permanent secretary in the Ministry of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Ms Bonolo Khumotaka.

Giving a keynote address at this year’s World Town Planning commemoration in Francistown, Ms Khumotaka said town planners should be aware of the goings-on around the world especially with the fourth industrial revolution and what they were going to do to ensure they aligned their thinking and technologies to it. 

 Ms Khumotaka said research was also paramount if the country was to attain the knowledge-based economy it aspired to.

She encouraged the ministry’s senior management to look for international organisations and network conferences for continuous professional development when developing a training plan. 

The permanent secretary also pleaded with town planners to reflect on the country’s achievements. 

 “Compare that to where the world is, and come up with innovative ways which set the pace to attain liveable settlements that will fulfil the aspirations of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise the future crop of town planners will be set to fail,” she said.

 On this year’s theme: Advancing Sustainable Development Goals through Innovative Planning Practices, Ms Khumotaka said it leant heavily on SDG 11 which seeks to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

 The theme, she said, came at a time when Botswana continued to localise the New Urban Agenda and SDGs which resonated with the country’s national vision.

 “The SDGs have also been infused in the preparation of the recently approved National Spatial Plan and the review of National Development Plan 11,” she said.

 On other issues, Ms Khumotaka said Botswana had registered high numbers of rural-urban migration since independence. 

 However, she said United Nations forecasts had indicated that the figures would increase exponentially in Africa and Asia adding that current urbanisation statistics show that Africa had less than 50 per cent urban population while developed countries were at over 70 per cent.

“The two continents will account for 86 per cent of all growth in the world’s population over the next three decades and this unprecedented increase will pose a challenge in terms of creating inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities/human settlements,” she said. 

 Ms Khumotaka said already Vision 2036 and the National Spatial Plan had noted the trends.

 She challenged everyone to harness the positive attributes of urbanisation as it offered opportunities of agglomeration of economies, shared services, energy efficiency, stronger economic growth and greater social diversity. 

 She pointed out that the new government had some refined aspirations that needed to be delivered in the next five years. 

 The permanent secretary urged every town planner to be  an  ambassador of the profession and continuously share knowledge with the public and stakeholders so that their role could be better understood and acknowledged. 

 In his welcome remarks,  Botswana Institute of Town Planners Mr Kagiso Tshukudu appealed to planners to ensure that they rendered the best service ever not only in African but in the rest of the world. Ends