Spatial Planning Presents Viable Opportunities
Lebogang Baingapi | Monday September 11, 2017 16:11
Briefing a full council meeting on the draft in Jwaneng on Thursday, the Director of Town and Country Planning from the Ministry Of Finance and Development Planning, Peter Moalafi said the spatial plan seeks to establish patterns and trends of people with more emphasis on mapping where opportunities are presented in mining taourism, eco-tourism and other businesses.
He said currently there is massive migration of people from villages to cities and therefore there is a need to change the policies to help villages grow.
Moalafi said Botswana needs international connections.
Population wise, he said, research has shown that South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe and Zambia will grow to 60 million in the year 2040 and this presents an opportunity for the International Aviation Hub in Sothern Africa, specifically to Botswana.
“In our spatial plan draft we see Maun as an eco-tourism city because it already has tourist attraction sites and only needs development on infrastructure. Jwaneng also has opportunities in mining tourism that can make income,” Moalafi said.
He noted that Jwaneng can also develop a special zone for solar manufacturing, home improvement, designate special industrial zones and earmark urban agricultural zones as well as post mine rehabilitation for recreational and tourism activities.
Moalafi called on the town leadership to position themselves and consider constructing warehouses, truck inn and consider post mining through construction of vibrant buildings.
“Our Vision 2036 says we should be a high-income country with shared prosperity. We should bear in mind that the best way to predict the future is to create it. Re-prioritise your planning to cater for the critical mass,” he noted.
The deputy mayor, Olga Ditsie said revitalisation of towns came handy in the plan and further noted that strategic zoning of the land is vital.
She advised that proper coordination between towns and Land Boards should be improved to ensure efficiency.
Concillor Bankinyana Montsiemang of Ngami ward commented that the government should allow councils to prioritise on road construction and maintenance to enable investors to develop rural areas.
He said people migrate to cities and towns to look for services, but the council is capable of taking such services to the rural villages to stem mass exodus.