22 Aug 2024

 Okavango District has seen an improvement of funding for various projects in the past five years.

This was said by Okavango District Council (ODC) Chairperson, Mr Gaopalelwe Ronald, during the opening of the full council meeting in Gumare on Monday which was the last meeting before national general elections.

Mr Ronald cited road projects as some of the projects that received funding although, he said, some were not completed on time due to challenges experienced.

He said the Nokaneng-Gumare road project which commenced in 2019 was one of the projects that failed to meet completion date due to challenges with the initial awarded contractors.

Nonetheless, Mr Ronald said the Development Manager (DM) had since been appointed to expedite the implementation of the road projects in the Okavango District.

He said that the Development Manager for Nokaneng-Gumare Road being DM4 Nama Knight Piesold JV has completed preliminary design and was waiting for construction approval.

He said the Gumare-Sepopa and Sepopa-Mohembo Road which involved shoulder reconstruction and asphalt overlay was ongoing despite the slow progress because of shortage of quality construction materials.

Mr Ronald also said Bigen Consulting, who is the Development Manager for Mohembo-Gudigwa Road, was currently doing a design review of the project.

He said since the beginning of the council term in 2019, the council managed to construct a total of 261 destitute and Rural Area Development Programme (RADP) houses to the tune of P28 million.

He said that all the houses were completed and handed over to beneficiaries.

Mr Ronald said the council was constructing five houses this financial year of which two were destitute houses and three RADP houses.

He said that the other projects, which were completed were the primary school backlog which were implemented through Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) III for Etsha 1, Shambombo, Etsha 13, Samochima, Shakawe, Mohembo West, Eretsha, Mokgacha primary schools while Tsodilo project was at finishing stage. ENDS