28 Feb 2022

Tutume Umbrella Village Development Committee has decried poor implementation of projects across the village.

When briefing Central District Council chairperson, Mr Ketshwereng Galeragwe recently, Umbrella VDC chairperson, Mr Isaac Lebengwa said projects that were planned for the 2018/2019 financial year were yet to be completed.

Mr Lebengwa said the projects included houses for destitute persons whose intention was to build and hand them over to the beneficiaries immediately.

He said three houses had been built but were without water and electricity.

Mr Lebengwa said they had enquired from the council and lack of funds was cited as the reason for the delay, something he said made one wonder whether utilities were not taken into consideration when planning and budgeting especially that the houses were built for needy persons who in most cases could not afford such services.

He said they were awaiting construction of a toilet that was excluded when building kgotla offices.

In response, Mr Galeragwe explained that water and power were not part of the package for destitute houses because the main purpose of such houses was to provide shelter to the needy while beneficiaries were expected to install utilities at own costs.

He said financial constraints made it difficult to include utilities in the package but said destitute houses should be built within the specified period and handed over to beneficiaries immediately.

Meanwhile, he informed the meeting that CDC District Development Plan 9 proposals received from sub-district councils surpassed the national budget and therefore they should be revised. ENDS