Africa-Press – Botswana. Private sector participation is critical to creating a thriving environment required for sustainable developmental projects and delivery of basic services to all citizens in the district, North West District Council chairperson, Mr Itumeleng Kelebetseng has said.
Addressing a kgotla meeting in Legotlhwane near Sehithwa yesterday, he said the overall budget for the council for this financial year was slashed by 14 per cent and as such they would not be able to undertake all planned projects hence the intention to lure the business community to come on board and assist in that regard.
Residents were informed that inadequate budget would limit the council’s ability to run its business and the delivery of quality services as expected. Mr Kelebetseng said the bulk of the budget would go to personnel emoluments, the employees’ salaries and other allowances, noting however, that council would prioritise completion of pending projects.
“This is a serious challenge and we have already written to the business community to share with them our budget deficit and plead with them to play a role towards project implementation. There will be no new projects this financial year and this requires collaboration with the private sector for the betterment of the lives of the community,” he added.
He is of the view that involvement of the private sector in the public service infrastructure provision would also enhances their role in the economy of the country. Mr Kelebetseng appreciated that some companies in the district had been reaching out to assist as part of their corporate social responsibilities in community activities as well as providing some lasting solutions to some issues, but stated that it was time to focus on sustainable developmental projects.
In other areas, he said collaboration with the private sector had worked wonders in achieving sustainable developments. However, he told residents that there was no project earmarked for their village except the construction of a kgotla office that was at a tender stage.
Another pending project he mentioned was the long awaited Sehithwa Service Centre, which he sai was established through Community Constituency Programme (CCP). About P5.1 million was proposed for the completion of a facility the community saw as a key project to benefit residents of Sehithwa and its catchment areas, while the remaining P4.9 million would be used on projects in other wards.
Village Development Committee (VDC) chairperson, Mr Phetso Selabe decried lack of developments in the village citing that since its recognition in 2017, they had not seen any project undertaken even upgrading of the village chief as headman of arbitration.
The only development in the village, he said was the primary school and a two roomed house donated by a some company to VDC while other old houses were constructed through the drought programme long time ago.
The government took a decision that Legotlhwane be a recognised settlement in 2017 and be declared a Tertiary IV settlement following countless pleas by residents to request for gazettement of their settlement which was established around 1900.
Mr Selabe also requested upgrading of the internal road to the kgotla, and construction of a clinic saying residents were forced to access health services as far as Sehithwa and Toteng. He also decried acute shortage of water citing that the community stayed weeks without water.
Area councillor, Mr Moedi Modiegi concurred that the villagers were hopeful that they would benefit from all basic services and other services rendered by government departments following the recognition of their village but that was not the case. He pleaded with the council to consider the 2km gravel road in the village citing that in the past, 2km gravel roads were done in-house.
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