11 Sep 2023

Kanye District council secretary, Mr Godimo Garegope has suggested that projects that were proposed by commun ities during consultations had to support Vision 2036, Transitional National Development Plan as well as the Reset and Reclaim Agenda.

He said on Thursday during a special full council session that projects should therefore make an impact in priority areas such as export-led growth, investment in infrastructure, digital transition, development of human capital, economic resilience, value chain development and mind set change.

Mr Garegope said some of the issues raised by the communities included storm-water drainage problems due to the village landscape, water shortage across the district, lack of utility reticulation in the district, poor roads infrastructure networks, inadequate health and educational facilities, inadequate maintenance of existing public facilities, decayed morals in the district, which lead to gender-based violence, high rate of unemployment as well as increased crime levels.

In an effort to address identified issues, he said a number of projects such as design and construction of storm water drainage master plan were proposed.

“The area has poor water drainage, hence there is a need for a storm water drainage master plan,” he said.

He said the design and upgrading of internal roads including solar street lighting, tower lights in strategic areas and storm water drainage were among the proposed projects.

The villages, he said, had grown and new extension areas needed roads, adding that internal roads were mostly earth roads and there were poor roads network and drainage. “The areas need illumination, which can also curb crime,” he said.

He highlighted that the village and its catchment areas had experienced population growth hence a need for a secondary school, noting that a unified secondary school was then proposed.

He said a unified school would cost less than a new project, therefore the idea was to convert Ngwaketse JSS into a unified secondary school.

He said it was also proposed that all health posts be upgraded to clinics, adding that the clinics would alleviate congestion at the hospital and improve working space.

Mr Garegope further pointed out that the community was happy with the proposed projects, as they believed that most of the issues identified were of grave concern.

For his part, Mafhikana councillor, Mr Thamiso Chabalala was of the view that storm water drainage had to be given priority, noting that no developments could be sustainable without such in place.

“For example, storm water destroys internal roads, floods buildings and destroys furniture,” he said.

Pertaining to proposal for Ngwaketse junior school to be converted into a unified secondary school, Mr Chabalala said it was a great move considering that the location was strategic to cater for the other part of the village.

Dilolwe councillor, Mr Morapedi Kgosithebe highlighted that due to the village’s landscape, drainage had to be prioritised.

“We would be wasting funds carrying out other developments without drainage system, since the water was likely to destroy such,” he said.

Councillor Kgosithebe highlighted the need to take advantage of Kanye’s landscape to promote tourism, noting that in partnership with the private sector, projects such as zip lines could be set up.

Regarding the growing number of youth who use drugs, Dilolwe councillor pointed out that the district had to build rehabilitation centres in order to arrest the situation. ENDS