10 Dec 2020

Government has funded the development of a new Maun Planning Area Development Plan 2021-2041 to the tune of P4.1 million.

The plan aims to transform Maun into a world class green city.
North West District councilors were informed during the ongoing full council session that the project which aimed to transform Maun into a world class green city was expected to run for twelve months from the award date.

The council chairperson, Mr Kebareeditse Ntsogotlho disclosed that a tender for the procurement of consultancy services for the preparation of the envisaged plan had been done, adding that it had been floating since October 16 and closed on November 23, and currently it was adjudicated.  

Cllr Ntsogotlho stated that a tender for procurement of consultancy services for the preparation of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) study for North West District detailed structure plans/layouts was being adjudicated.

The councillors learnt that villages had been categorised in seven packages.

Furthermore, he said construction of two primary schools at Maun and Shakawe had been approved through the recent Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan 2020/21-2022/23(ERTP).

Council, he said, had so far started necessary preparations such as land acquisitions and project memos for pre-contract consultancy works.

The actual construction is expected to commence around June 2021, he noted adding that ‘though these projects are a welcome developments, we are alive to the fact that we still have shortage of education facilities which covers, classrooms, toilets and staff housing.’

Mr Ntsogotlho noted that above the two approved primary schools, they still faced shortage of seven more primary schools in the district not forgetting the Qangwa RADs hostels.

The house also learnt that the council continued to avail electrical energy to primary school facilities that were not domiciled in areas that currently were not having the Botswana Power Corporation grid network.

It was reported that the council had over the years successfully constructed eight photovoltaic power plants in Nxauxau, Xaixai, Gani, Chukumuchu, Habu, Qangwa, Jao Flats and most recently at Somelo.

The meeting was also informed that the power plants constructed had proven to be efficient and reliable except for the Nxauxau Primary School, where it had been found that the school load far outweighed the plant generation capacity.  

The council chairperson noted that the school experienced unprecedented power outages mainly due to the school load nature as well as electrical defects to fundamental power plant components.

However, Mr Ntsogotlho appreciated that council had received financial support from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to help upgrade the system generation capacity to the level good enough to sustain the school’s natural load.

Currently, he said, a team of engineers was working on the load assessment exercise preliminary to the power upgrade works.

He also revealed that other four new photovoltaic power plants were earmarked for construction at Sankoyo, Mababe, Khwai and Makakung primary schools.

BPC, he said was currently finalising grid connection to all the listed primary schools; except Khwai where construction would go on as planned. “This development has thus caused us to invalidate the construction of solar power plants in Sankoyo, Mababe and Makakung,” he said.   

It was reported that the council had recommended the transfer of the Sankoyo solar plant to relief the existing Nxaunxau solar plant, since both Makakung and Sankoyo would be connected to the BPC grid.  

In line with keeping up with the adoption of clean renewable energy alternatives, the house learnt that the council had entered into contract with Pedigree Creations (Pty) Ltd for the installation of 35 solar powered streetlights in Sehithwa.

The project is expected to finish on February 13, 2021 and will offer another dimension to infrastructural development in Sehithwa. ENDS