19 Jan 2020

Phakalane residents have complained that they are sidelined from benefiting from government services despite paying rates. 

The residents voiced their concerns during a kgotla meeting addressed by Gaborone North Member of Parliament, Mr Mpho Balopi, whom they told they were not being treated like other city dwellers.

They lamented that the area was not being de-bushed, cleaned and pending projects not being implemented for the last two financial years. 

They also raised concern that the city council did not collect waste on time, leading to people dumping rubbish everywhere.

Residents further complained that Phakalane had been dark since 2011 because streetlights were dysfunctional, noting that they had on numerous occasions raised this concern with the previous area MP.

They said they were yet to get the flood lights that they were once promised. 

In the absence of the lights, the residents said Phakalane had become a crime-haven as the criminals hid in the dark bushes and robbed people.

On other issues, they complained that there was no clinic which affected productivity for the greater Phakalane residents and workers in the area, as they travel to get healthcare outside Phakalane. 

They also complained about the police post, noting that given its poor condition  it could not handle certain cases.

Meanwhile, they also said the power cuts were rampant in their area and requested that load shedding should be communicated well in time to enable them plan their activities. 

Residents appealed to their MP to ask relevant authorities to account with regards to Phakalane roads as they needed upgrade due to the volume of traffic in the area as well as to request for kgotla shelter for their ward.

The MP, who is and also the Minister of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development had visited residents to briefed them on the issues discussed in the last meeting of Parliament and to hear their grievances.

Mr Balopi encouraged residents to start doing community service in each neighborhood to help clean up the area and said there was need to start negotiation with Gaborone City Council in regard to closing down passages to control the crime. 

He acknowledged the heavy traffic on the A1 Road which affected residents, but promised to lobby for an alternative route to Phakalane. 

Responding to the residents concerns Gaborone City Council Town Clerk Mr Lebuile Israel said his office was experiencing transport challenges hence delays in refuse collection. 

He encouraged residents to continue paying rates to enable the council to render services. 

Concerning the street lights, he said they were still assessing them and promised they would rectify the problem soon. 

Concerning the flood lights , he explained that they had experienced tender hiccups and the project would be implemented once the tender issues were resolved.

Councillor for Phakalane ward, Ms Nicolas Lebogang promised to make a follow-up with regard to all the grievances raised by residents. Ends