10 Dec 2019

Nominated councillor for Selebi Phikwe Town Council (SPTC), Mr Lucas Modimana has been elected the new mayor.

Mr Modimana takes over from Mr Molosiwa Molosiwa who led the council from 2017 to October 2019. Mr Macdonald Sebego, who is councillor for Botshabelo South, ascended to the position of deputy mayor.

Both Mr Modimana and Mr Sebego were unopposed. Selebi Phikwe Town Council is comprised of 14 wards, seven from each of the two constituencies of Selebi Phikwe.

Of the 14 wards, the Umbrella for Democratic Change won seven, Botswana Democratic Party six while one ward was won by the Alliance for Progressives. Addressing the council during a special full council meeting on Monday, Mr Modimana thanked councillors for entrusting him with the responsibility to lead the council. He said his focus would be on revitalising the ailing economy of the town which was severely affected by the closure of the BCL Mine.

He said several initiatives have been done to lure investors to Selebi Phikwe, but that it has yielded very little results hence the need to work with the relevant ministry to expand the mandate of SPEDU to have an investment wing.

Mr Modimana added that he was going to work with the council’s political and administrative wings to help resuscitate the economy of the copper mining town. Also on the mayor’s agenda is the need to improve the health care system of Selebi Phikwe. He called for the decentralisation of the health care system in order to improve service delivery.

“We need a permanent solution to Selebi Phikwe problems. We must work together to advance the development of this town,” he said.

For his part, Mr Sebego promised to work well with the management of the council and the mayor to improve the livelihoods of the people of Selebi Phikwe. He said he and the newly elected mayor would bring changes that would impact positively on Selebi Phikwe residents.

“I am not going to take this responsibility you entrusted on me for granted,” he said.

In addition, the council also swore on councillors and elected chairpersons of various committees. ENDS