05 Aug 2021

Mahalapye Sub-District Council has employed cost saving measures on two projects.

 Speaking in an interview with BOPA, council chairperson, Mr Bantlhasetse Merementsi said the two projects, being undertaken at a total cost of P57 million, were refurbishment of Mahalapye bus rank and paving of Shoshong internal roads.

 To reduce costs, he said, the council was partly using  its own labour and equipment, which was shared between the two projects. 

Mr Merementsi said the council was doing all the earth works in both projects, which included clearing of project sites as well as pouring and pounding gravel.

He said for the Shoshong project, council had employed 53 artisans who had in turn recruited 424 locals.

Mr Merementsi expressed delight that the council might have some savings from the P47 million Shoshong project since the total labour cost for the artisans was about P7.2 million and material cost approximately  P26 million. The project was also way ahead of schedule, he said.

“From what we have seen in Shoshong on Monday, we are very happy with the progress and hopefully by independence the paving of internal roads would be complete,” said Mr Merementsi, who was accompanied by Shoshong MP, Mr Aubrey Lesaso  on the visit.

In Mahalapye, he said council employed 30 casual labourers for a period of four months to remove and pack old paving blocks as part of the P10 million bus rank refurbishment project. 

To save costs, he said, the old paving blocks would be reused as they were still in a good condition.

   Mr Merementsi explained that the two projects were funded by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development through the Road Levy Fund.He appealed to members of the public to exercise patience explaining that the projects were meant to make their lives easier, improve the business environment, re-channel storm water and reduce congestion on the road. ends