01 Apr 2024

A clean city has the potential to attract investors, Mayor of Francistown, Mr Godisang Radisigo has said.

During the Clean Botswana initiative launch at the Francistown bus rank recently, Mr Radisigo said keeping the city clean should be everyone’s responsibility.

He said places such as the bus rank which boosted the livelihoods of many city-dwellers in the form of the informal sector needed to be kept clean at all times to attract customers and investors alike. “So let us ensure that by all means the bus rank is always clean especially since it is also the face of the city and part of Francistown CBD,” he added.

Also, Mr Radisigo stated besides litter, abandoned plots and homesteads added to the degradation of the city.

He urged those with abandoned plots and homesteads to attend to them as they were now used as hideouts by criminals, posing a threat to the community.

“Companies also put up signs around the city without consulting authority, and that also contributes to degrading the city as they are now put up anywhere.”, he added.

For his part, Francistown Chief Executive Town Clerk, Mr Stephen Motlogelwa stated that with Botswana’s resolve to host international events, the country had to look the part and be kept clean.

Mr Motlogelwa also says that the initiative targeting the bus rank first will give those in the informal sector an understanding that indeed the relevant authority was with them in these trying times, by way of cleaning their area of business.

Speaking to BOPA, Mr Onewang Modise, Senior Environmental Health Officer at Francistown Council relayed that the initiative was also aimed at sensitising the people of Francistown about the importance of residing in clean environments.

Mr Modise further stated that the city council would not want to get to a point where it was compelled to enforce bye-laws without prior education about the importance of clean environs.

“It is important for people to know about cleanliness and how it saves them from a lot of dangers.

 If people continue living in hazardous environments, they are likely to fall sick and cost the government a lot of money to attend to them rather than channelling the same financial resources for further development,” he added.

Mr Obed Kakabane, Vice Chairperson of the Urban Development Committee for Francistown Central also underscored the fact that having the city clean would lure investors and help create jobs. Ends