Muzila, Ngoma battle for the mayorship
Chakalisa Dube | Tuesday April 4, 2017 17:07
Muzila was elected mayor after the 2014 general elections.
Already, former mayor Peter Ngoma has expressed a desire to bid for the mayoral chain in May.
“I have done relatively well under my first term as a mayor.
One of the major projects I believe I have pursued with passion is the development of the old golf course plot which we want to turn into a new state of the art Central Business District (CBD) to significantly create employment,” Muzila said.
The council recently completed the surveying of the plot as well as the Environmental Impact Assessment.
The council has now invited bids for the management and development of the plot.
Muzila added that she would like to leave when Vision 2022 had taken shape.
Muzila recently acknowledged that the vision, which aims to revolutionise the economy of Francistown, is failing to take shape.
On the other hand, Ngoma told Mmegi that his reasons for challenging for the mayoral position are fuelled by the slow pace in implementing Vision 2022 by the council leadership.
“I want to see investors coming to Francistown. It has been a while since the council invited potential investors to come and assess the viability of investing in the city.”
Vision 2022 cannot be a success if investors are not invited to come and assess the prospects of investing in the city according to the former mayor.
“Under my leadership, I will make sure that I constantly invite investors to the city to explore the possibility of bringing their businesses here.
I am certain that if more investors are invited to Francistown some will eventually open their ventures in the city and create employment,” he said.
Ngoma added that the city council allocated many business plots years ago but they remain undeveloped.
“I believe plot owners should be strongly lobbied to develop them (plots) in order to create employment.
I will definitely find ways that will effectively lobby business plot owners to develop them in order to boost the economy of the city,” she said.
He added that Galo and Nswazwi malls were developed because the council under his leadership relentlessly lobbied owners of the plots housing those malls to turn them into new state of the art facilities, a development which created many jobs.