26 Mar 2024

Specially Elected Gaborone City Councillor, Mr Seikise Manyepedza has expressed concern over lack of developments in some Gaborone North constituency wards.

Responding on Wednesday to the city mayor’s speech presented to the full council meeting in Gaborone, he said Gaborone North ward was pathetic as the area was dusty and too dark at night.

He said residents of Gaborone North deserve to somehow benefit from the Roads Levy as they were now identified with dusty or muddy motor vehicles due to untarred and unpaved dusty roads in their area.

He also said the constituency was known for bushes and forests no different from Chobe National Park citing the spotting of an elephant in Phakalane some three years back. He said the bushes were an eye sore and harbored criminals, turning the area into a crime haven.

He further said lives were endangered as the rail line level crossings had no boom gates to stop motorists from colliding with locomotives. He said the automated Phakalane boom gate had since stopped working.

“And at Glen Valley rail line crossing there is no boom gate. When crossing residents have to always worry and on the lookout for trains,” he said. Mr Manyepedza said they were hopeful to benefit from the road levy to have boom gates installed for the safety of Gaborone North people.

He said though Gaborone North boost of some developmental properties and growing population they had only one bus access service at a spot known as Turn 3 which was not sufficient and far from residents place of abode.

He said residents had to walk a kilometer and a half to get to a nearby bus stop at Phakalane. He said he was hopeful that traffic lights would be installed at Turn 3 where there was a filling station, to facilitate movement of both motorists and pedestrians.

“We recently lost a school going child due to a car crash. Cars collide at the same spot. So I plead that you install traffic lights there,” he said, adding there was a need to locate a new bus stop where people may be safe from criminals terrorizing pedestrians at some stops.

Mr Manyepedza expressed hope that the envisaged Public Private Partnership (PPP) developments which had been allocated land stretching from Gaborone North to Sir Seretse Khama International Airport would positively impact on the residents.

He urged council consider acquiring land from Ministry of Lands and Water Affairs to designate more lands to Gaborone City. He said there was need for more land to demarcate in order to allocate plots for Gaborone residents so to attain zero plot waiting list of Gaborone City Council.

He further pleaded with Water Utilities Services to introduce prepaid water services, just like Botswana Power Corporation which introduced prepaid electricity meters.

Cllr Manyepedza said they had long waited for Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) to address

Ledumang car wash businesses. He said the council executives was to write a complaint to LEA for not being responsive and effective. He pleaded for an audit of the solar street lights that have not been completed in some areas.

For her part, Former Mayor and Councillor for Tsogang Ward, Ms Veronica Lesole said she was hurt that funds were diverted for solar lights under scrupulous criteria and those who complained were allegedly silenced.

“Go ne go sena fairness mo kabong ya dipone tse. A re sa dirise maikuto le botsala mo dilong tse

eleng gore ga re ntshe madi mo dipateng tsa rona,” she said. She said there was need for transparency in allocation of resources in future. BOPA E TLALE 23/03/2024