28 Apr 2021

North East District traditional leaders have hailed the national decentralisation policy, saying it will bring investors closer to local authorities.

Presenting the policy to traditional leaders on Tuesday in Masunga, Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse said the policy would give councils power to make decisions autonomously without having to seek authority from any institution.

He said decentralisation would also empower local authorities to seek local and foreign investors to develop their localities, adding that it would relieve government the burden of funding all projects.

Mr Autlwetse also noted that it would enable councils to raise funds to augment the annual grant from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

He highlighted that decentralisation would improve organisational performance, as all functions and powers would not be centralised in Gaborone where they were not needed.

He further stated that it was imperative to reinforce the economy of districts so that they could sustain themselves.

Mr Autlwetse also noted that the Local Government Act gave the minister authority to add a sub district or promote a sub district to a fully-fledged district, adding that some district councils serviced over 500 000 people.

He said decentralisation was the solution to decongesting councils so that customers could access services easily wherever they were rather than travelling long distances.

He also noted that decentralisation required resources such as personnel, offices, funds and a review of functional structures.

In his remarks, Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, Dr Douglas Letsholathebe reiterated that it was not practical to depend on headquarters for approval of services that were offered at district level.

He said decentralisation aimed to cultivate growth and change in how services were rendered to customers in a timely manner.

Dr Letsholathebe commended the ministry for consulting all stakeholders pertaining to the decentralisation policy so that they were familiar with it ahead of implementation.

Member of Parliament for Tati West, Mr Simon Moabi stated that consultations were key in attaining good governance for any country.

He said traditional leaders played a fundamental role in unifying the nation, hence consultations with them was a welcome move.

He also said decentralisation would eliminate bureaucracy and waiting for decisions to be made from Gaborone.

Commenting, Kgosi Kutlwano Matenge and Kgosi Obuile Mambo of Matenge and Mambo villages respectively welcomed the policy, saying it would bring investors closer to local authorities hence making districts attractive to work for.

Kgosi Sibangani Mosojane of Mosojane said the North East District was endowed with a rich culture that needed nurturing and preservation, adding that it would be ideal to have a director of culture at council level who would understand the uniqueness of every district. Ends