24 Mar 2026

The Serowe District Council (SDC) has earmarked P49,920,753 for the implementation of the newly established Ikageng Public Works Programme as part of its 2026/27 financial year budget.

Presenting the budget during a special full council meeting recently, finance committee chairperson, Mr Nametso Senku noted that while the allocation matched the current year’s funding, the council was still awaiting final implementation guidelines for the programme.

Mr Senku added that beyond the public works programme, there were several high-priority infrastructure investments aimed at improving district services, which included support for the Constituency Community Projects throughout the district at P30 million while over P3.01 million would be set aside for primary school maintenance to ensure a safe learning environment. 

Additionally, P750,000 would fund the construction of a new teacher’s house at Central Primary School to address a critical housing shortage, while P12 million was allocated to complete the stormwater drainage project in Tshimoyapula, which was currently 76 per cent complete.

The council also addressed housing for vulnerable populations and a total of P152 206 had been allocated under the Remote Area Development Programme (RADP) to construct a house in Malatswae. The project was originally prioritised for the 2025/26 cycle but faced implementation delays.

Despite the multi-million Pula budget, Mr Senku warned about the council’s operational capacity, indicating that while they had the necessary human resources, lack of means to support their work remained a significant hurdle.

“In the public health sector, limited operational funding will affect outreach programmes, mobility of health teams and maintenance of health facilities," Mr Senku stated, adding that such constraints could compromise the quality and reach of essential services. BOPA