26 Feb 2026

Jwaneng mayor, Mr Ronica Ntsimako, has emphasised the need to prioritise the 2026/2027 financial year district programmes according to long-term sustainability, owing to the current economic challenges.

He said while the economic shift experienced in the current financial year tested the district’s resilience, there was need to exercise discipline in order to sustain economic growth in the year ahead.

Addressing a full council meeting recently, the mayor said the strategies should foster a private sector-led economic growth, in line with the national implementation approach of the National Development Plan (NDP) 12 and Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP).

He also called for collective efforts in diversifying the economy from the mining sector, through harnessing investment opportunities for the district.

“In the year ahead, we must align our efforts around clear, shared priorities such as improving service delivery and responsiveness of our local governance, creating a safer, greener and more walkable neighbourhood, supporting job creation and local entrepreneurship and lastly strengthening transparency, accountability and inclusivity in our decision making,” he noted.

Mr Ntsimako regretted that as one of the key development projects expected to significantly contribute toward economic growth, the Truck Inn project was behind schedule. However, he noted that Water Utilities Corporation had started upgrading the pump station, which formed part of the infrastructure challenges affecting the project.

“It is our expectation that once the upgrade is completed, we will witness substantial progress in the implementation of the Truck Inn project. The anticipated completion date for the pump station works is February 28. Council remains committed to facilitating infrastructure development that supports investment, service delivery and sustainable growth for the benefit of our community,” he said.

Additionally, he noted that negotiations for the Truck Staging project, a collaborative initiative by Debswana and Botswana Oil scheduled for completion by December, were finalised and stakeholders were working towards signing the necessary agreements.

He said a Project Initiation workshop held last month focused on comprehensive discussions between stakeholders. He also noted that plans were underway to hand over Town Entry Monuments developed by Jwaneng Mine at a cost of P2.3 million, towards enhancing the town’s tourism sector.

“While progress on the physical structures has been substantial, the formal handover of the monuments has not yet taken place. Deliberations between Jwaneng Mine and Jwaneng Town Council are still underway, focusing on finalizing the terms of ownership, maintenance responsibilities and long-term stewardship. These discussions are essential to ensure that the monuments are sustainably managed and preserved for the benefit of the community,” he added. BOPA