29 May 2025

The transformation of Lobatse economic landscape requires comprehensive policy overhaul focused on Local Economic Development (LED), Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA) national LED Commissioner, Mr Mompati Seitiso has said.

Addressing councillors, economic experts and technocrats in Lobatse during a capacity building workshop for District Economic Development Committee (DEDC) and LED committee members on Tuesday, Mr Seitiso challenged councillors to use their authority to turn around Lobatse's economic dynamics and develop a LED strategy that would positively transform livelihoods. He said the objective of the workshop was to train relevant LED structures to enable them to review the 2019-2024 LED strategy and develop a new one for Lobatse,

“You have the power to control where you want this town to go through policies that govern your community, approved by you as councilors, no one can come from elsewhere and change them,” said Mr Seitiso, who is also a North East District councilor.

He underscored that setting project timelines and ensuring project implementation, monitoring and evaluation were central to delivery. As such, he said councilors as local authorities had veto power over the economic direction which might also have impact at national level. Mr Seitiso said President Advocate Duma Boko was on transformative mission and councillors must also throw their weight behind him in shaping the economic landscape and transforming the narrative.

Additionally, he said councillors made bylaws and policies that governed the way of doing business within the community, saying they must take the lead in shaking things up for the better and refrain from complaining about foreigners setting and taking up businesses.

 “They do so because we did not set up bylaws that compel them to stay and not fold up as and when they want leaving our people without employment. Let us review the policies, our procurement processes. We must understand our town, the resources we have and how we can create value chains,” he added.

Mr Seitiso said Lobatse, which was a Trans Kalahari Corridor route, had a substantial truck traffic volume flowing from neighbouring countries through Botswana, adding that truck stops could be set up to boost the town’s economy whilst locals provide hospitality services in the process creating employment opportunities. He called for the councilors to always have their electorates in mind and devise laws that could uplift them.

Furthermore, Mr Seitiso said the council must consider promoting tourism towards economic prosperity through coming up with an annual tourism event, package Lobatse to promote its heritage in an effort to revive Lobatse to benefit different sectors of the economy. He thus implored DEDC and LED committee members and councilors to facilitate Public Private Partnerships.

 “If government does not have the funding, it is your responsibility to look for partners, support local businesses, and provide full assistance to entrepreneurs. We must promote investment through securing funding for projects,”  said Mr Seitiso.

Taking councillors through the institutional arrangements for local economic development programme, North East District Council economist, Ms Boipelo Tshekiso, said most countries started implementation of LED in 1975, adding that Botswana was 50 years late and as such all stakeholders must work hard towards the achievement. She highlighted that Botswana’s current economic situation, where diamond revenues had declined, called for all to rise to occasion.

“We must be economic players and not spectators to revitalise the economy,” she said.

 Ms Tshekiso said LED strategic planning and implementation was an all-inclusive strategy which included state owned enterprises and involved all participants, noting that it was critical to ensure role clarity to actualise swift and successful implementation of the LED strategy.

Lobatse Town mayor, Mr Aron Ganakgomo said they were considering the introduction of truck stops from commercial border posts as they had noticed that trucks were packed by the roadside on a daily basis hence the need to build truck stops, quick shops and look for investors to partner with the council on the project.

For his part, Tsopeng South councilor, Mr Moalosi Rasesia said Lobatse had a very rich resource inventory that should be explored, adding that the current policies needed to be reviewed as some could be hindering economic progression. He said the area was endowed with clay mineral and Lobatse being clustered as a Meat Special Economic Zone, more value chain activities could be introduced. ENDS