Koontse retires 'a happy man'

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Monday October 4, 2010 00:00

Although he has been working with politicians, Koontse does not have bruises to show for it.  He only holds fond memories about his job.   

Koontse, who has worked as a chief executive officer for a number of councils in the country, is retiring a happy man.  In fact, he has not been pushed out but is going voluntary.  If he had things his way, he would have retired two years back, but he could not quit because of the recession. 

Koontse joined the local government service in 1978.  His first posting was the North West District (NWDC), which has its headquarters in Maun.

This was the area where he cut his teeth in the local government service from humble beginnings as an assistant community development officer commonly known as 'Rra-boipelego'. 

By then he had just completed a certificate in social work from the Botswana College of Agriculture (BAC).

He worked in NWDC for almost 10 years.   It was while he was with the NWDC that he was sent for further studies in the early '80s.  He came back armed with a Diploma in Development Work and a Masters in Education from the United Kingdom (UK). It was at NWDC where Koontse started moving up the ranks. 

Besides Maun, one of the areas in which Koontse was stationed in North West District was Gumare, which is a sub-district. 

Koontse recalls that it was tough during those days in the North West District in terms of development.  The sandy roads in the district were hardly accessible. 

You could only reach villages that were surrounded by water like Seronga by using a pantoon.    After working in the rural areas for some time, Koontse was transferred to the then Gaborone Town Council where he acted as the chief community development officer.

He reflects that he played an instrumental role when Gaborone was conferred the status of a city.  He served in the various committees that were preparing to ensure that Gaborone met the status of a city.

His next station after Gaborone was Molepolole in the early '90s.  Koontse came back to the Gaborone Town Council in 1994 and after he was promoted to be the deputy town clerk.  He worked in Gaborone until 1997 when he was transferred to the Kgatleng District Council. 

But it was at the Central District Council where Koontse was appointed a full council secretary in 1999.  This was a huge responsibility because the Central District Council is the biggest in the country.

At the time when Koontse was at the helm of the Central District Council, it had 122 councillors.  This was at the time when the government was formulating the decentralisation of councils.  Koontse played a crucial role in the decentralisation of the vast district.

'We came up with standing orders that were taking into account the decentralisation structures,' he said.'I think it was the first one of its kind.  Those are some of the achievements that I remember,' he said.

His other major project was the building of the Serowe council chamber.  The Serowe council chamber is not only the biggest in the country, but the most aesthetic, as he put it.

'I came to Serowe when they were battling with the idea of where to put up the structure,' he said.

A site has already been identified near the Serowe shopping centre.  But there some families occupying the plot refused to relocate to make way for the council chamber.

There were two families who were not willing to make way because they felt that the council was offering them too little for compensation. 

The councillors were convinced that this was the best prime spot even in terms of the architecture of the building.  Koontse took it upon himself to negotiate with the families who were not willing to move.  'I decided that we should offer something more than what the valuation report has recommended,' he said.

The two families only relented after Koontse had convinced his bosses at the Ministry of Local Government and Housing that they should increase the compensation fee.

That was in 2003, when the construction of the facility started, but unfortunately Koontse was transferred to a different district.  However, the imposing structure has since been completed and it remains one of the landmarks in Serowe.

Working with councillors could be one of the toughest jobs.  Of course, Koontse admits that it could be quite a daunting task.  But he had found a diplomatic way of dealing with them. 

He said when you are working with councillors, you have to recognise that they are representing the people.  One has to bring themselves to the level of the councillors so that you can speak the same language.

At the time Koontse was working for the Central District Council there was not much opposition.  Most of the councillors belonged to the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).

When he was at the Gaborone City Council, the Botswana National Front (BNF) was the ruling party at the council while the BDP was the opposition.

Koontse said you have to exercise caution when you are dealing with councillors from different political camps.  As the council chief executive officer, you also have to treat them equally.  Otherwise, you run the risk of being associated with one of the political organisations. 

In Koontse's case he feels that he managed to survive at all councils where he worked because he treated the councillors equally.  He did not look at their political affiliation.  He was never accused of bias. 

Another of the district councils that Koontse headed was the Kgalagadi one, where he built team work between councillors and staff members.

When he came to Kgalagadi, he found that there was animosity between the two parties. He created a forum in which councillors would work cordially with the council employees.  By the time he left the Kgalagadi District, the forum that he had created was working.  Koontse really appreciated the efforts that he made in Kgalagadi. 

He also initiated similar efforts at the Kweneng District.  His initiatives were starting to pay dividends.  He considers such initiatives to be work-in-progress.

When he arrived at Kweneng, it was also not centralised despite the fact that it was the second biggest district.There was only one sub district in the whole of Kweneng. 

But the council embarked on a decentralisation process that has seen some areas like Mogoditshane being declared sub-districts.

'I worked hard and passionately for decentralisation.  It was difficult because it was done during a time of recession.  There was no money and resources,' he said.

The exercise had to be done with the meagre resources at their disposal.  The first sub district that was established following this effort was Mogoditshane, which has a population of more than 60,000.

One of the factors that was considered was that Mogoditshane was growing very fast.  'We felt that we had to move fast in terms of putting up decentralisation.  We also established the structures'.  Currently, the Mogoditshane sub-district has 32 councillors. 

The Kweneng District Council has not been able to put up sub-districts in Thamaga and Lentsweletau.  Thamaga falls under Mogoditshane while Lentsweletau is under the Mopololole council authority.  But just when he left the council, they were about to establish a sub district in Thamaga.  The council authorities are in the process of identifying infrastructure to put up the sub-district in Lentsweletau.

One of the major development projects that Koontse was overseeing in the Kweneng District, was the village infrastructure in Thamaga.   The project entails installing storm water drainages and tarring of the village roads.

Koontse also saw to the completion of the Remote Area Dwellers (RADs) hostels in Mantshwabisi.  This is another project that he speaks proudly of.  A similar project is underway in Shadishadi.   

When he was working for Kgalagadi District, one of Koontse's legacies was P40 million internal roads and storm water drainage projects in Tsabong.   Currently, Koontse does not see himself making a comeback to the council as a councillor.  He has ruled out joining politics for the time being.  'It is very difficult to predict the future. But for now, politics is not in my line,' he said.  He would prefer any vocation which is less hectic.  Koontse said he would always be available for any national call.

During his retirement, Koontse will focus on both arable and pastoral farming.  For him, there will be relocation because coincidentally he retired in Kweneng where he originates.Koontse, 56, is married with four children. 

Meanwhile, the former Kweneng Council chairman, Patrick Manthe, who has worked with Koontse, rates him highly.  To him, Koontse was a good manager who was down to earth and easily approachable.  'He had an open-door policy'. 

He said Koontse was a good listener who was always willing to learn.  'We never disagreed in public,' he said, adding that if they had a disagreement they would sit around the table. 

He said the council secretary was willing to accept criticism if it was constructive. 

Manthe said Koontse had a wealth of experience relating to the running of councils.  In addition, Koontse had vast experience of running big councils like the Gaborone City Council and Central District.  He said even when Koontse was posted to the Kweneng District Council, it was not his first time to serve there. 

Manthe considers himself to be fortunate because he served together with Koontse on the executive committee of the Botswana Association of Local Authorities (BALA).

In his view, Koontse had not only built a good relationship with his staff but also with the councillors.  'He was respected not only by his staff but even councillors'.