29 Mar 2023

Francistown City Council has embarked on targeted maintenance of roads and to improving the outlook of the city, Mayor Mr Godisang Radisigo has said. 

Addressing Virtual Full Council on Monday, Mr Radisigo said P10 million had been allocated for road maintenance and installation of solar street lighting for improved illumination in the city. 

He said half of the funds would cover asphalt overlay of the 2.8 kilometre Kazungula road.

Mr Radisigo said the project started beginning February this year and was expected to be completed in April. 

Progress was at 50 per cent against 55 per cent, he said. 

He further said installation of P3.7 million worth of 225 solar streetlights was completed beginning of December last year while installation of two tower lights at Monarch Phase 5 and Phase 6 started in February and was expected to be completed in April. 

Mr Radisigo said an additional P18 million under development funding was allocated for road maintenance, which had been packaged into asphalt overlay, resealing and pothole patching. 

The two projects for asphalt overlay of eight kilometres and resealing of 2kilometre roads each in the Central Business District (CBD) started February this year. 

Both projects, currently sitting at 30 per cent and 32 per cent respectively, are schedule to be completed in June. 

The mayor the cityscape, would also be maintained through vegetation control and road sweeping. 

He said pothole patching, package A, B, for East and South constituencies were yet to start while the contractor was still mobilising for package C. 

He said the CBD was treated as a priority given that it was a prime location in terms of travel and tourism as well as public and commercial services. 

Mr Radisigo said since there was no budget for major maintenance of streetlights, illumination levels across the city remained low at an average of 70 per cent throughout the year. 

“We have since allocated funds amounting to about P2 million in the recurrent budget for the financial year 2023/24 for the maintenance of streetlights and over P1.2 million of the funds will be used to take over thirty 30 streetlights on the BPC line at Mugabe street in Donga and 45 streetlights on BPC line at Satellite, the remaining funds will be used to replace 220 Non LED’s across the City. Ends