Africa-Press – Botswana. The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse, has applauded traditional leaders for embracing the decision to upgrade sub-councils.
He said dikgosi hailed the initiative as a good move during his consultative meetings with them.
Mr Autlwetse was speaking at a national decentralisation consultative kgotla meeting in Lerala and Sefhare last week.
He said dikgosi showed that they had their people’s best interest at heart.
He also quashed rumours that some dikgosi were not in support of decentralisation and elevating sub-councils into full councils.
He said the decision would not affect dikgosi’s jurisdiction and the established practice of bogosi, but that it would help to bring services closer to people.
He noted that 22 sub-districts had been upgraded to fully fledged district councils.
Minister Autlwetse also informed residents of Lerala and Sefhare that after the upgrading his ministry would consider upgrading and resourcing service centres which were far from district headquarters, funds permitting.
He added that Lerala and Sefhare were some of the villages earmarked for service centres.
He noted that some villages were still far from service centres and district headquarters.
Mr Autlwetse also noted that councillors from different sub-districts in the Central District used to travel to Serowe after their sub-council sessions and that government incurred a lot of expenses on the travelling and accommodation of officers and councillors.
He said government used to spend over P1 500 000 every council session in Serowe, but noted expenses were reduced as meetings could be held virtually.
He also said the decision to upgrade sub-councils would affect land boards, bogosi and other central government departments because they would have to be upgraded to district level.
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