17 Dec 2025

Special education learners, who participated at the just ended National Special Olympics, deserves special recognition and appreciation for displaying a sterling performance.

The mayor of Francistown, Mr Gaone Majere said during the city’s full council meeting citing that the team returned home with an impressive total of 77 medals, a remarkable achievement that he added, spoke to their dedication, resilience and talent.

The team secured 34 gold medals, 29 silver medals, and 14 bronze medals, earning not only accolades but also the admiration of the nation of Botswana and ‘their performance is a testament to what can be accomplished when determination meets support and opportunity’, Mr Majere said.

While he acknowledged youth unemployment as one of the challenges in the city, he said the council had however committed itself to creating meaningful opportunities for the youth through the Tender Preference Scheme, under which a portion of procurement was reserved specifically for youth-owned enterprises.

Through the scheme, the council has awarded over P1 million to youth-owned companies out of P7,161,161.15 worth of tenders, representing 14.41 per cent of the total.

“We should, however, acknowledge that the pace of procurement has been slower than anticipated due to the current economic conditions we are experiencing,” added Mr Majere.

The house was also briefed that the council was more committed to harnessing solar energy across its institutions citing that the solar systems had now been installed and commissioned at Tagala and Lekgaba primary schools while installation works at Mahudiri and Phatsimo primary schools had also been completed and currently awaiting commissioning by the Botswana Power Corporation.

The next school scheduled in the programme of works, he said was Pelotshwana Primary School as all required materials had already been procured noting that the commencement of works at the school has been delayed due to the breakdown of the cherrypicker, a critical piece of equipment necessary for the successful execution of the project.

“This initiative is fully aligned with the government’s commitment to sustainable energy as articulated in the National Energy Policy, which promotes a transition from coal dependency to renewable energy sources. It is also well in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goal number 7, which is Affordable and Clean Energy,” he said.

He said the council would generate income from International Renewable Energy Credits and Carbon Credits as the government advances efforts for Botswana to participate meaningfully in the global carbon economy.

Furthermore, he said the city council had identified and prioritised different sectors, including tourism, manufacturing and the informal sector, among others, as engines for economic growth and development.

“Under the tourism sector, we have identified 17 heritage sites, which are currently being documented to create an informative heritage platter,” said Mr Majere.
In addition, he said the council would resuscitate the Francistown Educational Park to promote urban tourism, generate income and create employment opportunities in ancillary sectors such as hospitality, retail and transport.

The fencing of the park is almost complete and will be followed by restocking of the park.

The move is expected to position the city as a premier Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions destination as it has hosted several high-profile events, including the BTC Marathon, Batanani Walk, Miss Universe Botswana and Land Pitso, among others.

The city is also billed to host Tourism Pitso from January 29 to 30, while the City Tourism will be launched in Francistown on Saturday.

“These activities not only showcase our capacity and readiness to host major events but also contribute significantly to the local economy and the livelihoods of our residents.” ENDS