07 Mar 2021

Central District Council councillors have been informed that the implementation of projects and programmes had been affected by COVID-19 restrictions.

This was revealed by CDC chairperson, Mr Ketshwereng Galeragwe in a virtual speech at the ongoing council session. Councillors learnt that the national income was reduced as many sectors of the economy were impacted by the pandemic and its resultant restrictions.

Mr Galeragwe called for prudent financial management from all participants in the country’s economy.

“Most importantly, we have been encouraged, as local authorities, to exercise prudence in the management of our finances and to improve our revenue generation strategies,’’ he said. He appealed to councillors to start thinking outside the box and to become more creative in how they could foster developments in their district.

He appealed to them to come up with innovative ways to sustainably develop their people with the little resources at their disposal, including strategies to lure potential development partners to undertake development projects across the district.

Mr Galeragwe noted that the district had already initiated action on some projects, adding that if fully implemented, some would contribute significantly towards employment creation, poverty eradication and the general socio-economic landscape of the district.

He said they had taken a decision to ensure a substantial increase in revenue to complement the revenue support grant from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

He said although COVID-19 had affected them, a number of projects in the district had been mentioned in the budget speech.

These, he said, included the Francistown-Nata, Nata-Maun, Palapye-Martin’s Drift roads; the North East water supply project and the connection of Tswapong South villages to the North South Carrier.

On the health sector, the council chairperson said the Mahalapye and Sekgoma hospitals would be further developed.

He also revealed that the district had been allocated two new schools at Letlhakane and Palapye to be constructed in the next financial year.ENDS