Govt Fast Tracks Over 200 Esp Projects
Monkagedi Gaothobogwe | Monday January 25, 2016 16:38
Government spokesman Jeff Ramsay revealed that the projects are part of the Economic Stimulus Programme(ESP) that had been budgeted for, and needed to be awarded before the new financial year started but said, that more ESP projects will be rolled out after the budget allocations.
According to Ramsay, the publicised projects are part of the ESP batch that government promised the nation, and that they (projects) have already been budgeted for.
The bulk of the 200 or so projects are houses for nurses in rural areas and urban centres. In Gaborone, eight nurses’ houses, including two double storey houses, will be constructed in Mogoditshane, where a further 84 housing units will be built for teachers at the senior secondary. Still in Gaborone, a police forensic laboratory will be built, while maintenance would be done to houses at Bonokopila and housing units at the Roads Testing Centre which would also be refurbished.Francistown will have two junior secondary schools, Gold Mine and Selolwe extended during this period. So will be refurbishments of major hospitals in Mahalapye, Molepolole, Maun, Sefhare and Serowe where Swaneng Senior Secondary school’s teachers’ quarters are also scheduled for refurbishment.
Agric Service centres will also be built in Sefhare, Mmathethe and Gumare still under the programme.
Other interesting developments being awarded before the new financial year include the construction of a Revenue Office and staff houses in Hukuntsi, New IEC regional office in Tutume, construction of police stations and staff houses in Semolale, Mmathubudukwane and Maitengwe.
There will also be construction of anti-poaching office in Kasane, Matsha senior Secondary school sewage ponds. s learnt that Mahupela on Monday issued a lengthy memo in which he appealed for calm among employees following recent reports that the mine was experiencing a lot of problems.
“As you may have observed, there has been a number of media reports concerning the state of the business, mainly around the financial challenges we currently face,” the memo reads. “In general these reports carried distorted information and needless overstatement of some facts.”
Mahupela acknowledged that the mine was facing problems but said, “Please note that the management has actively engaged on all conceivable options to save the business.
“These options include actively engaging the shareholders and owner, government of Botswana who has given support on all refinancing options for the business to survive and make it sustainable.”
Molosankwe said the company saw nothing wrong by issuing the memo before engaging the union.
“Management briefs are a common occurrence in our business and we are of the view that there has been no deviation and /or violation of the communication protocol agreed between the parties,” he said.