FCC abandons potential development partners
Chakalisa Dube | Wednesday November 28, 2018 11:17
In July this year, the council announced that the two companies had shown interest to develop the plot into a state-of-the-art Central Business District (CBD).
The two companies even submitted a formal expression of interest detailing how they intended to undertake the initiative.
In her address then, city mayor Sylvia Muzila appeared to suggest that it’s inevitable that the two companies will be granted permission to develop the plot.
“The reports presented to the executive committee are that the expression of interest was not approved by the adjudication committee and the executive committee,” Muzila said on Monday when addressing the ongoing session of the ordinary full council meeting.
Although Muzila did not disclose much, indications are that the two companies were not given the go-ahead to develop the golf course because they did not meet some requirements to be granted permission.
The mayor said that the council executive committee has made a resolution to rope in Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) to assist in the identification of an investor who can develop and lease the golf course.
She said that BITC has shown so much commitment in terms of assisting Francistown attract investment and is in the process of setting up an office in Francistown at the Tati River Mall.
Bothakga Burrow Botswana is a multi-disciplinary engineering, mining and contracting company that has been in operation for years.
On the other hand CCEC has its roots in China, but has done a lot of construction and civil engineering works in Botswana in recent years. The company also operates in various countries in Africa.
For nearly three years the city council has been on the look out for an investor to design the golf course plot in to a new state-of-the art CBD as part of the revatilisation of Francistown.
A resolution to lease the plot was taken following indications that the council does not have enough funds to fulfill responsibilities of developing and managing a new CBD.