03 Jun 2025

Gaborone City Council (GCC) has endorsed the construction of an investor led primary school and a clinic in Block 7, Gaborone.

Addressing a special full council on Monday, Deputy Town Clerk, Mr Chidzani Mudongo said Gaborone City was the first beneficiary of the 50 primary schools and 100 clinics expected to commence in August 2025. 

He said Block 7 primary school to be built from prefabricated materials was earmarked to benefit from the P6.5 billion investor led project. 

Mr Mudongo said the clinic and school to be fully furnished would stand on a 6.8ha plot with 13 classrooms holding 30 pupils in the initial stage.

He also said pupils would be assisted with tablets, as the school was expected to be technologically equipped with boards and other e-learning devices. 

The deputy town clerk said each school would have a bus to transport pupils and undertake school errands as well as other transport needs.

He further said accommodation of teachers was not included in the project and they had tried in vain to convince the investor to build teacher accommodation, hence resorting to depend on the 100 000 Bonno project.

Mr Mudongo said they consulted Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) for the certification of standards pertaining to building materials to use. 

He said the investor alongside council would undertake the maintenance of the school and the bus. He said the buses would be replaced every six years while students’ tablets would be replaced every two years.

Responding to the presentation, specially nominated Councillor, Kagiso Tshekega said the usual brick and mortar building should be preferred over prefabricated buildings for creation of employment. 

He said the standard for school buildings was set against Morula and Marulamantsi primary schools, noting that anything below that standard would not make the grade.

Mr Tshekega also said Block 10, another Gaborone location, had a pending construction of a primary school and pleaded that the area be prioritised after Block 7, because a plot-designated for such purpose already exists.

Councillor Tumelo Ramatsebanyana of Babusi Ward said there was a dire need for staff accommodation. He said one psychiatric nurse serving Babusi was stretched, as she served Babusi from Bontleng Ward and residing a distance from the two wards.

GCC education committee chairperson, Mr Katlego Morolong commended the envisaged development, whilst Councillor for Block 7, Mr Khumo Sebereko said the new designs be presented to council for approval as plans already exist for the said plot.

Phakalane Councillor Kaisara Sejoe said that he was not impressed with the construction of 50 primary schools and 100 clinics across the country, given that the contractor was chosen by a direct appointment of the investor.

He said he was also not in approval of schools and clinics constructions, because the project was not a Public Private Partnership as envisaged. 

Mr Sejoe also said it was not clear how the contract would work, adding that even the monetary value was not clear. ENDS