22 Apr 2021

Chobe councillors on Wednesday joined their Lobatse and Jwaneng counterparts in unanimously supporting the proposed national decentralisation policy.

Commenting on the draft policy presented by Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Eric Molale in Kasane, Pandamatenga ward councillor Mr Tengenyane Tuelo said service delivery was a major challenge in Botswana because of centralised decision taking.

He said having all decisions made in Gaborone sometimes put council under pressure and ended up making rushed uninformed decisions.

Though Chobe was a fully fledged council,  in some instances it had to wait for decisions to be made in Francistown or Maun.

Mr Tuelo commended the ministry for coming up with the policy which he said would empower citizens to make decisions. 

Councillor Matengu Simasiku for Kazungula Newstance called for speedy implementation of the policy once approved by Parliament.

A member of the Botswana Congress Party, Mr Simasiku said the policy was exactly what his party had long advocated for. 

He described the policy as the right tool for empowering local government as far as decision making was concerned.

Once approved, the policy would call for restructuring of some legal instruments, he said.

Councillor Baboloki Mpebe said the policy would enable  the Chobe District Council to take advantage of the Kazungula Bridge and introduce toll gates  as a source of income.

Presenting the draft earlier, Minister Molale said the objective was to promote equitable and sustainable development and enhance citizen participation by transferring decision-making powers and resources to local government.

It was also to empower local government as key drivers of good governance, sustainable and responsive service delivery, he said.

Minister Molale significant experience, goodwill and institutional structures to implement the policy already existed. 

He commended the Chobe council and land board for working as a team saying the district was ahead in implementing what the policy promoted. ENDS