This situation has not only been costly to the end beneficiaries - that is ordinary Batswana - but also the government treasury. It baffles the mind how authorities monitor the implementation of projects and the lackluster way in which it moves to remedy the wayward situations. Take, for instance, the issue of the P11 million renovation of the Francistown College of Education (FCE). As we understand it, the court ruled way back in May last year that the tender was erroneously awarded to a Chinese construction company, Unik Construction, instead of the rightful winner, Buildswana.
Without necessarily going into the merits and demerits of that ruling, it is nevertheless surprising and amazing that about eight months later since the work was halted, it has yet to be commenced. This is clearly indicative of the laissez-faire attitude towards public projects that pervades the entire government service delivery system. While officials of the ministries of works and transport and education see no urgency in resolving this matter expeditiously, undoubtedly the college authorities and the students are at the rough end. Obviously this is also going to have debilitating financial implications on the public coffers. Talk of cost recovery from Batswana school-going children pales in the face of this naked and immoral waste of public resources and expectations. One does not need to look far to see glaring evidence of waste that has come to be associated with the implementation of government projects.
