Central District in P141m deficit
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday February 21, 2022 06:00
This was revealed during the chairpersons and mayors’ forum held on Wednesday this week in Gaborone. The Minister got a shock as he learnt that CDC has been operating on a deficit over the years.
CDC chairperson, Ketshwereng Galeragwe said in an interview that when he took over in 2019, he found the shotfalls.
He said there are many factors contributing to the deficit and CDC being the largest council in Botswana.
“This deficit is caused by a lot of factors such as salary increases for civil servants with no provision to accommodate such costs, COVID-19 pandemic also played a role, mismanagement, theft by some employees since many cases have been reported to the graft busting Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC) and are still being investigated,” he told Mmegi. “Under budgeting of the council since it does not include some villages, which fall directly under the CDC. With the issue of under budgeting, we have raised it with the Ministry several times that they cut our budget without considering certain villages and how wide our villages are, and also the distances.”
He said poverty cases are high in the area, something that also affects the budget.
Galeragwe added that the Bobirwa Sub-District Council, which falls under the CDC, is the hardest hit as it has many cases for corruption and its deficit is very high.
He said there is an investigation of corruption at Bobirwa Sub Council which involves an amount in excess of P600,000.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Peggy Serame pleaded with the council chairpersons and their deputies that it is time councils generate funds so that they could be able to sustain themselves without relying much on central government.
“We want councils to make their own money so that they could be able to do other things without having to request for money from the Ministry of Finance. The government is also having financial challenges, therefore, we cannot fund some of the projects we used to hence, the budget for some will be cut. Since we had promised our voters certain things as leaders, I urge you councillors to help us by reducing costs, let’s manage our finances properly and let us collect rates owed by people. Councils are capable of raising funds,” she said.
However, different council chairpersons agreed that councils could generate their own incomes if decentralisation policy is implemented and agreed to.
Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA) president, Jeffrey Sibisibi told the meeting that decentralisation policy should be taken seriously.
“There is nothing that councils can do if suggestions that we have brought as different councils are not taken into consideration by government. It is time we look at how other councils are operating and take that route. Right now, anything that we suggest takes long to be approved by the Ministry and that on its own hinders us from progressing. Let’s take the issue of decentralisation policy seriously so that we move forward,” he said.
When responding to the issue of decentralisation, Autlwetse promised that he was going to table a policy issue before Cabinet.
“If Cabinet agrees with it then, it will be tabled also at Parliament for approval. I will check with my Permanent Secretary so that we look into proposals that you have made as councils. If some are good, then we will act quickly,” the Minister added.