07 Sep 2023

Despite the implementation of the previous plan, North

East District continues to be affected by challenges that impede economic growth in the district,says Principal Economist, Ms Seipone Matlapeng.

Addressing the North East District Council (NEDC) special full council session about NDP 12
project proposals on Tuesday, Ms Matlapeng said issues identified under the Sustainable

Economic Development Thematic Working Group include among others dilapidated, infrastructure.

She said other issues included Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreaks, poor road network, low agricultural production and low quality breed of livestock. She stated that the district would continue to devise measures to address the challenges.

Ms Matlapeng pointed out that FMD had affected farmers in the district as they mostly relied on farming for both subsistence and commercial purpose.

“There is need to maintain border fence to restrict movement of livestock across the border fence and to restrict movement of livestock across the border,” she said.

She stated that disease control strategies needed to be implemented and intensified during the next planning period.

Ms Matlapeng advised that public education on livestock management also needed to be intensified to ensure better rewards and results.

Regarding poor roads and associated infrastructure, she said the district’s road network covers 623.5km, and 208km was tarred, while 415km was mainly gravel and earth.  

She said the situation affected the movement of goods and services across the district leading to low economic growth.

Over the years, she said, there had been a challenge in maintenance resulting from constraints of
resources like funds and equipment.

Ms Matlapeng underscored the need to cater for maintenance, paving and spot improvement of roads during the next plan period, which she said would facilitate ease of doing business in the district and attract investors.

She advised that if the situation was left unattended, it would lead to further dilapidation of structures hence increasing the cost of maintenance in the future.

She also disclosed that the district experienced shortage of education facilities in bothprimary and secondary schools, and that the pre-primary education initiative has been implemented without infrastructure and equipment.

“The 1:30 teacher-pupil classroom ratio in pre-primary and primary schools has also exacerbatedshortage of classrooms,” she said.

Ms Matlapeng indicated that shortage of education facilities like laboratories, toilet blocks and classrooms was also pronounced in the district’s secondary schools, and if not attended would affect academic results.

She highlighted that the proposal was for the construction of education facilities in different schools to close the existing gaps. ENDS