Africa-Press – Botswana. Heads of Departments in Chobe have been urged to up their game in supervising government projects.
Speaking during a consultative meeting with the officers in Kasane on January 10, Chobe MP, Mr Machana Shamukuni raised concern about delayed and abandoned projects in the district, which he said called for maximum supervision and monitoring of contractors to ensure timelines were met.
Mr Shamukuni, who was commenting on the District Development Community (DDC) report on status of projects in the constituency, said during his last consultation in April, some projects were progressing well and was disappointed that they had since delayed.
He said delayed and abandoned projects were tantamount to denying communities a service.
Mr Shamukuni said the intention by government to empower local contractors was in some instances becoming problematic, citing that some 2016 Economic Stimulus Programme projects were only delivered last year despite the adequate financial allocations.
Regarding drug availability challenges reported in the district, Mr Shamukuni said the Minister of Health had made a commitment in Parliament that his ministry would do its level best to have the situation improved.
Earlier when presenting the District Development Committee report, principal economist, Ms Tshoganetso Zilwa said drug availability in the disctrict stood at 58.4 per cent in November last year due, which she attributed to low supply by Central Medical Stores.
Ms Zilwa said micro-procurement was not successful because most suppliers failed to meet demand and that Chobe did not benefit from the Chronic Medication programme due to lack of citizen owned private pharmacies in the district.
She said the district was faced with a challenge of nurses’ resignation. She said as of June last year, 14 nurses had resigned.
Ms Zilwa said Kasane Primary Hospital had only 12 midwives compared to the 20 required for optimum operation.
She said Kasane hospital was also faced with maintenance challenges with roof leakages in different buildings and flooding in IDCC building due to inadequate drainage system around the hospital premises.
Malaria Indoor Residual Spray, she said, was ongoing at Chobe West villages and in other villages the exercise was between 35.8 per cent and 61.6 per cent.
She said in all villages, the 85 per cent target was not met due to amongst others, refusals by the home owners to allow spraying teams access to their homes and lack of leadership involvement.
The district, she said, was allocated P5 million to gravel internal roads, construct drainage structures and carry-out bush clearing of roads at Kachikau and Kavimba and progress in the two villages was at 92 and 75 per cent respectively.
On the gravelling of Kachikau-Parakarungu Road (Section B), Ms Zilwa said the district was advised that the case would be heard in court in May last year but efforts to solicit court ruling proved futile.
Ms Zilwa said the construction of package one of the new Botswana Defence Force camp was behind at 87.7 per cent and there was no activity on site as the contractor terminated work in December.
The package components are guard house, Botswana Power Corporation infrastructure, roads, parking, sewer and water works and electrical works and it was a seven months project.
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