25 Mar 2026

The Chairperson of Kgalagadi North District Council, Mr Stephen Lekgobero, has presented a P173.1 million budget for the 2026/2027 financial year, marking the commencement of implementation for National Development Plan (NDP)12 and District Development Plan (DDP)9.

Delivering the district budget speech, Mr Lekgobero noted that the financial plan comes at a time when the country was still recovering from prevailing economic pressures, calling for cautious and disciplined financial management. 

“As we deliberate, let us remain mindful that the broader monetary environment remains uncertain. This calls for prudent financial management and disciplined expenditure control to ensure that the Council fulfills its mandate effectively,” he said. 

He explained that the budget was guided by key principles including addressing short-term national and district priorities, aligning with the long-term aspirations of Vision 2036, and remaining consistent with the Government of Botswana’s development agenda. Mr Lekgobero highlighted that the previous financial year (2025/2026) was marked by significant fiscal and operational challenges. 

“Among these were limited revenue streams, deteriorating infrastructure, overcrowded schools, rising demand for services, and increasing operational costs such as utilities, fuel, and fleet maintenance. The district also grappled with persistent challenges in supporting destitute persons and a shortage of staff accommodation,” he said. 

Despite these setbacks, he said the council remained committed to its priorities, including improving access to healthcare services, strengthening waste management, supporting vulnerable groups, expanding staff housing, reducing utility costs, enhancing revenue generation, and promoting corruption prevention. The approved recurrent budget for 2026/2027 stands at P173,118,250, comprising a Revenue Support Grant of P170,951,466 and council-generated revenue of P2,166,780. 

“This reflects an increase of P17.2 million from the previous year’s budget of P155.9 million,” he said.

However, Mr Lekgobero cautioned that the increase was effectively offset by the adoption of the Primary Health Care Services payroll, effective April 1, 2026, which introduces 179 posts costing P36.3 million. This adjustment results in a net decrease of over P21 million, reinforcing the need for strict cost containment measures. 

“In terms of expenditure, Personnel Emoluments account got the largest share at 74 per cent (P128.5 million), followed by Special Expenses at 11 percent (P19.8 million). Running Expenses make up 9 per cent (P14.8 million), while Establishment Expenses account for the remaining 6 per cent (P10.1 million),” he said. 

He noted that the departmental allocations show Primary Health Care Services receiving the largest share at P40 million (23 per cent), followed by Human Resource and Administration at P28.1 million (16 per cent). 

Social and Community Development has been allocated P24.9 million, while Civic and Mechanical Engineering Services will receive P21 million. Mr Lekgobero noted that, other departments, including Finance, Council Management, Architecture and Building Services, Education, Development Planning, Public Health, and Legal Services, shared the remaining 35 per cent. 

On the development budget, Mr Lekgobero noted that most proposed projects in the previous financial year were not funded due to fiscal constraints, except for the Ikageng programme. This, he said, had slowed progress on key development initiatives.

“For the 2026/2027 financial year, the focus will be on completing ongoing projects. A total of P47.6 million has been earmarked for development, forming part of a broader five-year estimate of P338.6 million under NDP 12 for the district,” he said. 

He said, the bulk of the development budget which accounts to 89 per cent and stood at P42.5 million would go towards social welfare programmes, including the Constituency Community Projects, Ikageng Programme, and construction of houses for destitute persons and Remote Area Development Programme (RADP) beneficiaries. 

“Maintenance of primary schools will receive P3 million, while the remaining funds will be used for expanding kgotla offices in Monong, Ngwate, and Ncaang, as well as addressing classroom backlogs,” he said. 

Mr Lekgobero also revealed that projects under the Development Manager Model remained on hold pending a government review. In conclusion, he stressed that while the budget demonstrated the council’s commitment to service delivery, it also underscored the financial challenges ahead. 

“This calls for discipline, innovation, and accountability in how we manage our resources. Let us ensure that every Pula spent translates into tangible benefits for our communities while safeguarding against financial shocks,” he said. 

He urged stakeholders to remain vigilant in implementing the budget and called on residents to pay for services rendered in order to enable the council to meet its financial obligations. He added that ongoing reviews of development projects would help inform priorities during the midterm review of NDP 12 and DDP 9. ENDS