24 Mar 2021

Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse says recommendations for the storm water drainage master plan for Gaborone have not been implemented due to budgetary constraints that have been prevailing over the years. Mr Autlwetse said the project was submitted for consideration under NDP 11 but could not be included due to other competing priorities.

He also said he was aware that some wards in Gaborone Bonnington South constituency, namely; Phase 4, Kgale View, Difetlhamolelo (Block 9), Morula, Bophirima, Mosekangwetsi and other parts of the city remained prone to floods during rainy seasons because of inadequate infrastructure and storm water drainage. He further explained that his ministry, through Gaborone City Council (GCC), continued to attend on an interim basis, storm water infrastructure through its recurrent budget and Constituency Community Projects (CCP) funding.

“Council has for the past five years implemented 10 projects of storm water drainage including two projects in Marulamantsi (Phase 4), three projects in Difetlhamolelo (Block 9), one in Kgale View, one in Morula, two in Mosekangwetsi and one in Bophirima,” he said.

Moreover, Mr Autlwetse told Parliament that the procurement processes were at a vetting stage for construction of 360m storm water drainage at Gaborone West - Bophirima ward, cleaning and desilting of 2km of storm water drains in Marulamantsi, Bophirima, Morula and Mosekangwetsi. He added that GCC would engage its maintenance crews during the 2021/22 financial year to desilt drains to facilitate flow of water.

The MP for Gaborone Bonnington South, Mr Christian Greef had asked the minister to state whether there was a storm water drainage system master plan for Gaborone, and if so, when it would be implemented. Mr Greef also wanted to know if the minister was aware that during the rainy season, floods affected wards in the Gaborone Bonnington South constituency namely, Phase 4, Kgale View, Difetlhamolelo (Block 9), Morula, Bophirima and Mosekangwetsi; and to state appropriate measures in place to address the problem. ends