15 Aug 2024

Hukuntsi District Council continues to navigate its challenges while looking towards innovations and collaborations that aim to enhance the livelihoods and governance within the community.

Speaking at the official opening of the three-day council meeting on Tuesday, Council chairperson Mr Moratwa Lekolori said “our efforts should be directed towards increased revenue mobilisation so that the revenue base is widened and actual collection increased.’

Despite the revenue collection  challenge, Mr Lekolori commended the District Council for timely submission of the final accounts for the financial year ending March 2024.

He noted that Hukuntsi District was among the first councils to comply with the submission requirements to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Auditor General.

Mr Lekolori also acknowledged the government’s Ipelegeng programme, which he highlighted as a vital initiative for empowering disadvantaged community members to earn a living.

“For the financial year 2024/25, an amount of approximately P25 million has been approved to fund the implementation of the 2024/25 Ipelegeng programme in the district,” he announced. The programme is anticipated to create local employment opportunities for artisans engaged in technical projects.

The allocation of funds includes P17 million for labour costs, P1 million for technical projects, P6 million for sustenance initiatives, and P331 352 for Personal Protective Equipment.

Mr Lekolori remarked on His Excellency President Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi’s declaration of the 2023/24 year as an extreme arable agriculture drought year, leading to an increase in the district’s Ipelegeng quota by 695 slots to accommodate more beneficiaries from a waiting list.

“The total drought increase ceiling amounts to P8 million, including P5 million for labour costs, P1 million for sustenance initiatives, and a million increase in material costs,” he added.

This funding increase would expand the number of sustenance suppliers from 72 to 99 across the district, raising the revised Ipelegeng budget for 2024/25 to P33 million.
Additionally, Mr Lekolori addressed the role of Tribal Administration in enforcing customary and common law through the 14 customary courts in the district.

He noted that there are currently eight bogosi vacancies due to retirements, promotions, resignations, and deaths but emphasised ongoing consultations with the morafe as they await finalisation from the appointing authority.

“I am concerned that whenever a vacancy occurs, it takes long for the royal family to consult and agree on a proposed name for their kgosi,” he said. He urged royal families to be sensitive to community needs during such vacancies.

In the domain of Social and Community Development, Mr Lekolori expressed satisfaction with the council’s commitment to fulfilling its mandate by providing vital services to residents.

He reported that the Social and Community Development arm allocated 56 RADP houses during the financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24, having completed 19 houses while 37 remain under construction. “We have developed a strategy to ensure plot availability for beneficiaries in collaboration with the Hukuntsi Land Board, which has been a persistent challenge,” he noted.

As the district prepares for the upcoming general elections to establish a new council for the next five years, Mr Lekolori highlighted the Independent Electoral Commission’s successful registration of 12 299 voters for the Kgalagadi North Constituency through three phases of voter registration conducted from January to May 2024.

“You may recall that the Independent Electoral Commission had set a target of 80 per cent of the voting population which translated to 1.3 million voters,” he said.

Mr Lekolori said for the 2024 general elections, Kgalagadi North registered 12 299 voters compared to 2019 elections where 11 859 voters were registered, which is an increase of 440 voters.

“A total of 27 voters were rejected on account of underage and double registration. During inspection of the rolls, the office received 17 objections from Zutshwa of which the court upheld 10 and 7 were disallowed.

The IEC continued to make all the necessary preparatory activities to ensure that they deliver a free, fair and credible elections,” he said. Mr Lekolori took opportunity to recognise the talent that represented our country in the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

“Let us take a moment to applaud and appreciate our son, Tebogo Letsile, and the men’s 4x4m relay team for raising Botswana’s national flag high in at the Paris 2024 Olympics,” he said. ENDS