Africa-Press – Botswana. North West District leadership has agreed to focus on developmental projects that can eradicate poverty, stimulate job creation and in the end improve the living standards of the communities in the region.
They were airing their views during consultations with Minister for State President, Mr Moeti Mohwasa on the National Development Plan (NDP) 12 in Maun on Tuesday.
The level of poverty in the district, they said, required all stakeholders to introspect, think creatively and adapt to the specific needs and context of the communities they served.
“The high level of poverty in our region has pushed some individuals including elderly people to participate in the Ipelegeng programme to make ends meet and that is a clear indication that our planning process never included them,” said Mr Lesole Dibongo of Chanoga Village Development Committee.
He also said some members of the communities relied much on subsistence farming but it was not beneficial due to issues of human-wildlife conflict and he believed the plan should include programmes that could promote sustainable agricultural practices to address food insecurity.
In addition, he appreciated the new administration’s visionary leadership saying it was prioritising inclusive growth and quality lives.
Kgosi Johane Ngwengare of Phuduhudu shared the same sentiments that government was bringing overarching hope for prosperity for all.
He thanked Mr Mohwasa for the engagement saying it was critical to align their plans with government manifesto, which promised equal access to opportunities for all citizens. He also stated that their region was a tourism hub and suggested that they could construct a tourism related facility, which could generate revenue to be channeled toward development.
The envisioned facility, he said, could also serve as a tourism attraction site for travellers on transition to the Okavango Delta adding that it could also stimulate job creation for locals.
Kgosi Ngwengare also highlighted that community trusts also generated a lot of income and suggested that they could submit their developmental projects plans to the council for guidance.
Nominated councillor, Mr Kebareeditse Ntsogotlho advised government to translate what was outlined in its manifesto into tangible and practical deliverables.
He also called for strengthening of governance and institutions framework to curb issues of corruption stating that ‘it is critical to strengthen anti-corruption measures because we can develop sound plans and implementation becomes a challenge due to corruption’.
Earlier on, Mr Mohwasa stressed that development plans should be bottom-up so that no one was left behind in terms of economic development, adding that they should close the gap between the rich and the poor.
He said their area was rich in natural resources and encouraged them to come up with strategies to ensure such wealth benefitted the community noting that during their district planning process, they should prioritise projects that of importance to the communities needs and aspirations.
“You should look into critical issues that will improve lives not projects without impact,” said Mr Mohwasa, calling on the leadership to collaborate with the Chobe and Okavango districts on issues of national interest and focus on diversifying the economy.
The councils, he said, should also consider requesting powers to be independent and drive infrastructure developments in regions citing that in the past, councils were creative on how they utilised their budget.
He said councils could find ways to generate income and reduce reliance on government,” he said.
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