16 Jan 2020

Selebi Phikwe Town (SPTC) Councillors have approved three-year constituency community project proposals and Ipelegeng Programme project proposals for the town’s two constituencies.

The key priority areas include maintenance of roads, culverts and bridges, mall paving, storm water drainage around town, maintenance of market stalls and street lights.

SPTC’s Economic Planner, Ms Queen Goepamang informed the special full council meeting  Tuesday that in the first year, the council proposed to undertake four projects funded through constituency community projects in Selebi Phikwe East.

The projects include upgrading of waste water sewage, paving at Botshabelo Primary School, Matima, Mabaswang and Runwane avenue, cultural village and installation of street lights at Phase One, Botshabelo East and West as well as at Phase Two and Mekoro.

At Selebi Phikwe West, she said the council proposed to construct a phane factory, carry out maintenance and electrification of market stalls, as well as installation of tower lights at Mowana, Sesame and Meriting.

Under Ipelegeng Programme, Ms Goepamang said the council requested for P14.3m for the implementation of the 2020/21 projects. Ipelegeng Programme Coordinator, Mr Tidimatso Onneng also informed the council that the funds would be used to cover labour and material costs as well as the sustenance initiative.

He said the funds would be used to implement a total of 66 projects with a total of 1601 beneficiaries engaged on monthly basis, totaling 19212 beneficiaries for the duration of the programme.

Mr Onneng said the 66 proposed projects included minor construction, grass cutting in government facilities, debushing, litter picking around town, culvert desilting and sweeping of roads.

He said the Ipelegeng programme was expected to bridge the unemployment gap in the town, since a lot of people would be engaged on labour intensive projects and other small scale maintenance and construction.

It is anticipated that Ipelegeng will create opportunities for those that cannot be absorbed by the economic activities in the area.

For their part, councillors commended the technical team for the constituency community projects three-year plan, saying maintenance of roads and installation of streetlights would put the town at a higher competitive advantage.

They also thanked the government for the projects, saying that they would help improve the lives of Selebi Phikwe residents.

They urged the council to refurbish schools and other facilities to make them attractive to local and foreign investors.

The deputy town clerk, Mr Oganne Gontse also commended the SPTC technical team for adopting the three-year strategy, saying this would avoid projects implementation delay, by making annual consultations with the community and other stakeholders.

“We do not know when the constituency community projects funding will end, hence a need to plan ahead,” he said.

Mr Gontse said projects that would not be covered under the constituency funding and Ipelegeng programme would be attended to through other funding channels. ends