Botswana: The Bontleng Ward Development Committee hosted a meeting on Thursday to review and evaluate its annual plans for 2023/2024. The meeting was held at the University of Botswana auditorium.
Several important stakeholders of the Committee were present at the meeting for the benefit of the people. The event’s glimpses were also shared on social media.
Joyce Tumagole, chairperson of the Social and Community Development Committee, headed the meeting. He applauded Bontleng WDC for discussing the progress made in previous years.
Further, Tumagole said the move would help them plan for future endeavours. The Chairperson noted that they would have learnt from their previous experiences in developing the ward for the year 2023/2024.
Senior Community Development Officer Kgomotso Kanaimba was responsible for giving the overview of the workshop. She stated that the review is done in the best interest of developments in the ward. Kanaimba added the workshop aims to improve livelihoods of Bontleng community.
She pointed out that Bontleng’s population was smaller in the past than it is today. Kanaimba also noted that the infrastructure built in the past can no longer sustain today’s population.
She added that the Ward Development Committee wanted to develop some community strategies. These strategies will assist the community, and the government in developing the quality of life.
Kanaimba stressed that the committee has taken up several projects to ensure that this objective is archived. These include Renting out a house to Seventh Day Adventists Church, which has a monthly turnover of P3000.00.
The WDC also have a community garden and also leased an open space from Gaborone City Council. The returns from these projects are expected to which are expected to drive the mandate.
Senior Development Officer Olebogeng Merementsi pointed out that WDC’s initiatives will play a major role in the development of Bontleng Ward.
Merementsi noted that the workshop allows the committee to examine its former strategies. Through this deliberation, it can find several ways to improve its strategies and also devise new ones.
She cautioned that other pending issues around Bontleng need to be addressed to ensure the development of the ward. Some concerns she mentioned include drug abuse, gender-based violence and other social ills.
The stakeholders who were present at the meeting and workshop include:
- Seventh Day Adventist Church
- Bontleng Clinic
- Victus Global Botswana
- Urban Police
- Guardian Angel Society
- Hope Worldwide Botswana
- Brilliant Lead
- Bontleng Futsal Park Management
All these stakeholders made presentations during the meeting.