Africa-Press – Botswana. North West District Council has allocated a substantial budget of P118 million towards the Ipelegeng projects for this fiscal year.
Presenting the district’s development budget, Ipelegeng Coordinator Mr Thabo Buisanyang said a decision was also made to approve the sustenance project, which entailed extending working hours of Ipelegeng partakers from four to six hours per day.
Mr Buisanyang said the extension of working hours for Ipelegeng participants was expected to not only increase the programme’s impact but also provide individuals with additional income generating opportunities.
“By extending the working hours, the aim is to create a more conducive environment for community members to actively participate in the programme and reap the benefits of their hard work,” he said.
He added that the sustenance project would also create about 51 000 employment over a period of 12 months.
Although the allocated budget was set to fuel the implementation of impactful projects and the extension of working hours guaranteed enhancing the programme’s effectiveness, councillors were informed that some projects such as construction of Matsaudi, Makalamabedi and Mowana-Shorobe access roads had been cut down due to the insufficient funds.
On one hand, Mr Buisanyang told the council meeting that there was provision for segregation of waste in the Transitional National Development Plan and therefore funds had been diverted to purchase a skip truck at P1.5 million and a clinical waste truck at P600 000 and the process to purchase the two vehicles was at tendering stage.
“More than P3.4m has been awarded to buy landfill equipment while design and construction of Maun internal roads have been awarded about P30.3m for the year 2024-25,” he said.
For his part, Cllr Kenson Kgaga for Boro-Sennonori advised that the new school being built at Boro settlement be fenced before any other equipment could be installed to protect it from damage and being stolen.
Cllr Kgaga also appreciated efforts to transport teachers from their localities to Boro school premises while they awaited construction of teachers’ accommodation.
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