. Speaking to Mmegi in an interview this week, he stressed that his most notable achievements can be noticed in the infrastructural development and the cordial relationship between the city council and the informal sector. Radisigo added that the council staff and councillors also deserve credit for what he achieved during his tenure as he worked closely with them. Reflecting on his tenure, the outgoing Mayor whose term ends next week said that he has ensured that infrastructure in school is significantly improved. He added that the internal roads and the improvement of the storm water drainage system in most areas in the city are some of the highlights of his term. “Issues of security in terms of street lighting have also improved in most parts of the city owing to the council’s well-coordinated maintenance plan. We continue to explore several approaches that can help us improve the illumination of our streets in the city,” he said.
Radisigo underscored that during his tenure the relationship between the council and street vendors has also greatly improved. “If you recall well our relationship with the informal sector was not cordial when I took over. One of the factors that caused tension was that some of the businesses were not catered for under business categories licensed by the council. As a result, our by-law officers frequently raided those businesses,” he explained. “We then decided to employ flexibility in terms of licensing. We license almost every business provided there is guarantee that the licence holder will take care of environment. This is one of the initiatives that came as a result of the informal sector strategy launched under my tenure, working collaboratively with the council staff and councilors.” He said one of the core tenets of the informal sector strategy is to improve the relationship between the council and the informal sector. Radisigo further said that through the informal sector strategy, which was launched two years ago, the council has amongst others, facilitated workshops and other capacity building initiatives aimed at enhancing the way those in the informal sector operate, so that they contribute meaningfully to the economic growth of the city. Capacity building workshops have been held with the support of Botswana National Productivity Centre (BNPC) and workshop UNDP amongst others, according to him. “We have also opened an office that is solely devoted to assisting the informal sector near the bus rank as a way of improving accessibility and for convenience. We do experience differences with the informal sector, but the way they are resolved is very cordial and sincere as compared to the previous years. I must point out that the informal sector has also been cooperating since I took over when it comes to cleaning their operational spaces. This is one factor that previously caused tension between the council and the informal,” he added.
Radisigo, who will contest for a parliamentary seat in Francistown East in the 2024 General Election, stressed the need for future council leaders to intensify efforts in promoting employment creation in the city, particularly through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). He voiced concern over the city's alarming unemployment rate. “One of the things that I have tried to motivate and spearhead is employment creation through the PPP model. There is progress in that regard because there are already several projects that the council is pursuing through collaboration with the private sector,” he said. According to the Mayor, so far, the council has leased its abattoir to a private company with a view of facilitating employment creation. In addition, the council has leased its Mummies plot to Petro Hyper. The company has since built a new state-of-the-art leisure facility that doubles as a mall, which houses entities like Choppies. The P35 million-facility, whose construction begun in 2022, is partially operational and construction is on the verge of completion. It is anticipated that it would create hundreds of jobs once fully operational. “We have also leased one of the council open spaces to Sunshine Plaza mall. The open space is adjacent to mall. The mall owners have started building a recreational facility and once complete they will be paying the council a monthly fee for a duration of ten years. “This will not only generate funds for the council but create employment for our youth,” he said adding that in future there is need for the council to consider using the PPP model in areas such as manufacturing which have the potential to create many jobs. Radisigo noted that a new state-of-the-art Central Business District that is being built at the old Francistown market will also help create jobs for the youth in the city. In 2020, the property was leased for a 25-year period by the council to a local company Amasa Civils. The company has just started the process of redeveloping the property which will be used for various commercial activities. The timeline for the completion is yet to be disclosed. The outgoing mayor reiterated that advocating actions to counter unemployment especially among youth was the biggest challenge of his tenure. “I am hoping that the reopening of Tati Nickel Mining Company will materialise. This will be a significant step towards employment creation and improving the city’s economy which is on a decline. The unemployment situation in the city is very frustrating. The consultants linked to the mine were here over the weekend to do some work and left on Monday. There seem to be tangible commitment to reopen the mine,” he said.
Recently President Mokgweetsi Masisi said that Tati Mine has found an investor and it would reopen in two years. While Radisigo acknowledges that there is still much work to be done, he expressed some level of satisfaction with the council's progress in addressing the backlog of those on the waiting lists for residential plots in the city. Recently, the council received 150 plots at Gerald Estates from the Department of Lands which has since been allocated. “My wish is that the quota of plots allocated to the council by the departments of land can be adjusted to 2,000. The 150 plots dealt with the backlog until 1992. So far, the waiting list stands at 13,189. “What worries me is that from 1992 to date we have not made so much progress in terms of allocation of plots, but I am hopeful that the next mayor and council leaders will give priority to reducing the backlog,” he said. However, Radisigo expressed optimism that government’s decision to purchase land from Tati Company would help to significantly reduce the waiting lists for residential plots in the city. Government has often maintained that there is no enough land in the city to reduce the waiting lists of residential plots in the city. A significant portion of land in the city belonged to Tati Company.
