GABS CITY REPAIRED
Located in the heart of Gaborone, Bontleng Primary School was one of the areas that were devastated by Cyclone Dineo some two years ago. Among damages from the cyclone the school boundary walls were destroyed and some trees fell onto classrooms destroying the roofing, recalled Area Councilor, Olebogeng Kemelo. Today the school is among several developmental projects carried out by the Gaborone City Council (GCC). Maintenance work is going on, a new classroom block is coming up and roofs of classrooms that were destroyed by the storm winds have been replaced and reinforced with steel pipes. The school will also receive rehabilitation of water reticulation and drainage along with other primary schools in the city in the financial year 2019/20. This is just one of the many developmental projects by the city council that are currently taking place around the city. Mayor of Gaborone, Kagiso Thutlwe said on Tuesday during the Council Leadership and Management tour of projects that they have realised that often times councilors discuss projects only in Council Chambers and never get an appreciation of the work on the ground. According to Thutlwe the projects have been funded from the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP), Roads Levy and Constituency funding, as well as additional funds from China through the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. The council received around P60 million from the Roads Levy, P30 million from ESP, and P50 million for the five constituencies within the city, while the donation from China through the ministry was about P15 million. “We are sampling a few projects from each of the funding mechanisms, some projects are funded from ESP, some from Roads Levy and some from Constituency funding,” Thutlwe said, adding, “Generally all projects are going on well. “We had hiccups at the beginning of some projects like paving of roads that did not go well because of issues of capacity, but we are now satisfied with progress and contractors and there is close monitoring.” Some of the visited sites include the Shashe road in Gaborone South that was done under the Roads Levy for around P5 million, maintenance of primary schools around P600 000, storm water drainage around P600 000, walkway in Mosekangwetsi and Khuduga in Bonnington south around P600 000, ESP project in Khuduga primary school for around P20 million. Other projects include; recreational park development, storm water drainage in Old Naledi, construction of Kgomokasitwa Road, street lights and flood lights, maintenance of SHHA offices, Block 10 underdeveloped plots, Bosele primary school, Block 3 recycling centre and development of clinic in Maruapula.