28 Mar 2021

Southern District Commissioner Mr Mmoloki Raletobana has underscored the need to prioritise local procurement to empower small businesses and consequently fight poverty.

Responding to councillors during a virtual full council meeting on Thursday, he noted that their concerns about local procurement were valid and there was need for procuring entities to double their efforts to empower local communities.

“We have engaged procuring entities in all our sub-districts to encourage them to empower businesses in their localities because local procurement can go a long way in fighting poverty among Batswana. As the new financial year is about to start, there is need for more to be done to encourage government institutions to procure goods and services locally, provided there is capacity,” he said.

On other issues, the district commissioner acknowledged that the state of roads in the district were generally bad, despite existing interventions. 

This, he attributed to shortage of equipment, recent heavy rains and financial constraints to engage private contractors, among others.

He said the centralised tendering for roads maintenance was not effective as the process was slow. He emphasised the need for the ministry to disburse funds to the district tender committees for timely response and expedition of maintenance works in the district.

Mr Raletobana further called on councillors to play their role in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by sensitising members of the public through public address systems and other safe means following the set protocols. 

He said there was need for all stakeholders to work together to ensure that people followed the protocols and were aware of the effects of the pandemic.

“Fighting COVID-19 is not entirely for the District Health Management Team but it is the responsibility for all of us. I therefore urge you to use your status in the community to spread the message and encourage people to adhere to health protocols,” he said. ends