Africa-Press – Botswana. Tsabong District councillors have nodded to a P208 million budget for both recurrent and development projects for Financial year 2024/2025.
The council passed the budget and called for swift implementation of outstanding projects to avoid delays in service delivery.
The councillors responded to a presentation of recurrent and development budget for 2024/2025 financial year for Tsabong District Council, by the Chairperson of the finance committee, Cllr Tshwarelo Mmoloki.
Cllr Mmoloki said the recurrent budget amounted to P165 million, which was an increase of 20.5 per cent over the budget for financial year 2023/2024, which was P137 million.
The increase was primarily due to inclusion of the increase in number of council wards, councillors’ salaries, allowances, and terminal benefits as well as the Village Development Committee allowance increase and the five per cent salary adjustment for employees.
He said the development budget of more than P43 million was approved to implement various projects. The budget covered construction of two destitute houses to the tune of P240 000, one to be built at Makopong and the other at Werda. The areas were selected after statistics reflected that they had more destitute persons totaling 293.
He said P120 000 would be used to build an RADP destitute house at Khawa.
Mr Mmoloki said the recurrent budget covered maintenance of firebreaks, salaries as well as procurement of vaccines at the Swakara Community Farm located at Khawa to the tune of P500 000.
The budget also covered implementation of Ipelegeng programme in the district to the tune of P17m which would cover labour and material costs, as well as personal protective equipment.
Such Ipelegeng projects, he said, would be construction of Maleshe Kgotla shelter, maintenance of Gakhibana guest house, payment to Construction Industry Trust Fund, convert two verandahs at Tsabong Police offices to storerooms, as well as convert office electric bulbs to regular ones and replace security bulbs at Tribal offices at Kolonkwaneng, Mileddlepits, Maubelo, Makopong and Werda.
Cllr Mmoloki said P3m shall procure Tsabong landfill equipment such as the compactor truck and the clinical waste vehicle.
The amount of P2m shall be spent on refurbishment of Food Relief Services warehouse, offices and ablution blocks at Tsabong.
Another P1 million shall be spent on maintenance of Tsabong kgotla and staff housing. Expansion of the existing structure of one tribal room office to Type 2 customary court offices shall be done at McCarthys Rust with P600 000.
Mr Mmoloki who is also the councillor for Middlepits/Khuis, said the primary school facilities backlog eradication has been allocated more than P2 million to construct one LA2 house and one Semi-detached LA2 house at Tsabong Primary school while Seetelo Primary school would get two classroom blocks.
He added that primary schools maintenance was scheduled to be done at Maralaleng, Kisa and Khuis with P5 million for maintenance works. The budget covers the school facilities and the staff houses.
The Council Chairperson, Mr Hendrick Jacobs, advised that as the council readies for financial year 2024/2025, it must consider attracting investors because it relied on government revenue support grant than on generating own source of income which has been declining over time.
“We must look deeply into luring investors into the district and help us develop the district,” he said.
Mr Jacobs, who is the coucillor for Bokspits/Struizendam, said the council 2024/2025 financial budget must take into consideration the resources that the council had and use them optimally to serve the communities.
Cllr Jacobs said as councillors thrash out budget allocations for the coming financial year, it was critical to prioritise high impact projects.
Draaihoek/Makopong’s Cllr Moses Chimbombi said as villages were gradually growing adding that after land allocations there must be graveling of internal roads to improve accessibility to homes, distribute water and electricity which were critical to improving living standards for people.
He called for funding to be sourced for the projects.
Werda’s Cllr Abokeng Maletse called for fast tracking of completion of the Werda Service Center to be fully fledged as people from neighbouring communities travelled long distances to access services in Tsabong.
Bogogobo/Kolonkwaneng’s Cllr Ikitseng Dipone expressed concern that companies awarded maintenance tenders at schools did substandard work because problems worsened as soon as they leave site.
He called for monitoring and evaluation of construction companies during implementation.
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