Africa-Press – Botswana. Rapid population growth and increased economic activities besieging Mogoditshane district has led to increased waste management challenge.
The Minister of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Mr Ketlhalefile Motshegwa revealed this when answering a question in Parliament on July 8. He highlighted that Mogoditshane/Thamaga district transitioned from a sub-district to a fully-fledged district in 2023.
The minister said the development was intended to enhance service delivery, hence resource constraints had posed a negative impact on delivery of services, waste management included. Mr Motshegwa said Mogoditshane was one of the most densely populated peri-urban areas with a population of about 88 098 and due to that and increased economic activities, there was high concentration of waste. He attributed illegal dumping, public space littering and delayed house hold waste collection to waste management challenges in Mogoditshane.
Mr Motshegwa mentioned that there was a devised mitigation plan as the ministry had released funds amounting to P14 720 000 specifically for outsourcing household waste collection services. He added that, out of 32 wards in Mogoditshane, 78 per cent currently received outsourced waste collection services while the remaining 22 per cent were serviced in-house. The collection of household waste at Ledumadumane, Mogoditshane Central and Tsolamosese commence yesterday as tenders had been awarded.
Moreover, Mr Motshegwa said the ministry disbursed the sum of P9 902 116 in June for the district to purchase more waste trucks. He said it was anticipated that the district would be able to address the scourge in house waste collection services given the available resources.
On other issues, he said to curb illegal dumping and enhance law enforcement the district had recently acquired two supervisory vehicles for surveillance and monitoring. He said by the end of June, the district had managed to install 37 street waste bins along the lay-bys as a way of promoting proper handling of waste generated by road users.
He emphasised that the ministry was committed to ensure improved waste management in the area through a combination of increased outsourcing, law enforcement, infrastructure development and public education. He was responding to a question from Mogoditshane East MP, Mr Letlhogonolo Barongwang who had asked the minister if he was aware of the serious challenges of waste management collection in Mogoditshane.
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