22 Jun 2021

North West District Council (NWDC) has engaged JS Planning and Design Studio company for preparation of the new Maun Development Plan 2021-2041.

The process is expected to deliver statutory legal document intended to transform Maun into a world-class ‘green city’ with bias towards diversified tourism product.

The council chairperson, Mr Kebareeditse Ntsogotlho, said the plan was intended to put Motswana first in the next 20 years.

He called upon the public to participate in the preparation of the plan even though the COVID-19 pandemic was the greatest challenge to engage them fully. 

Despite that, he said the council was committed to other innovative methods of consultation apart from usual kgotla and stakeholder workshops. 

Mr Ntsogotlho also highlighted that stakeholder participation was paramount because it would promote ownership of the plan.  

Narrating events that led to development of the new plan, he explained that Maun was first declared planning area in April 1995 and a development plan was prepared within two years in accordance with the then Town and Country Planning Act (1977).

He further stated that the latter had a period of 24 years and was revised and approved in July 2009, adding that among other expectations, the plan had to provide policy statements and guidance on proposals dealing with spatial developments.

Mr Ntsogotlho stated that the Maun Development Plan (MDP) (1997-2021) was premised on catering for a population projection of 45 544 people by end of the 2021 plan period. 

He said because of the 2011 populations census with Maun at 60 257, this resulted in serious development challenges among others rapid village spatial growth and rapid urbanisation rate, which led Batawana to call for more transformative ideals and approaches in development land.

Mr Ntsogotlho called on stakeholders such as commercial banks, CEDA and LEA to ready themselves in that regard.

Giving an overview of the plan, chairperson of the Physical Planning Committee, Mr Obonetse Lebakanyane explained that the plan was prepared in line with the Town and Country Planning Act (2013), adding that it was the inaugural development plan to be prepared following approval of the National Spatial Plan in 2019.

The exercise, he said, had commenced in March this year and expected to be completed in January 2022. 

He also noted that the current project area for the new plan preparation would be guided by the Maun Planning Area as declared by statutory instrument No,27 of 1995.

However, Mr Lebakanyane pointed out that the new plan preparations shall not be limited to the current Maun Planning Area boundary given the position of Maun as the headquarters of both the regional Planning Area and the district. Ends